Benigno Silva has been unemployed for more than a year now and, though he is in negotiations with two companies, he might have to wait until March to again have a job.
“Only a couple of years ago I was making $120,000 a year being project manager for an out-of-town construction company,” said Mr. Silva, a Dalton, Ga., resident.
Now his family is living off his wife’s salary from Mohawk Industries and his unemployment benefits, he said.
At 12.6 percent in December, the unemployment rate in the Dalton area remains one of the highest in the state and nationwide. The January unemployment rate nationwide is 9.7 percent, down from 10 percent in December.
Although the recession is affecting every community, Hispanics have among the highest unemployment rates across the nation, standing at 12.6 percent in January, down from 12.9 percent in December, U.S. Department of Labor figures show.