Finding A Job Is Less Of A Gamble For Some

Like that of many recreational venues, the business performance at the President Casino is a fair barometer of the local economy. Good times mean more customers; tougher times mean fewer customers. Aboard the venerable ex-SS Admiral, fewer customers mean fewer hours of daily operation and fewer employees — servers, dealers, cooks, cleaners, technicians, security guards — needed. A notice from the Admiral’s operators to the City last week said that 75 of its 400 or so casino employees would be laid off by the end of the month. Some of these people will be transferred to the adjacent Lumiere Casino; others will be looking for new work. Michael Holmes, director of the City’s career training agency, has already scheduled counseling and informational meetings for people who may soon be looking for new jobs. As difficult as the search for employment will be — in this economy and this time of the year — most of the ex-Admiral employees will have a recent job history, education, and some extra training to bring to an interview. It is an even more difficult time for chronically unemployed people, for school drop-outs, and for the unskilled. That’s why more job counseling, useful training programs, and better schools must be near the top of everyone’s agenda right now.