Job Seekers Band Together In Johnson County

Overland Park, Kansas – Nearly 50 percent more workers in Johnson County are without jobs today than they were this time last year. The increase in unemployment is still well below the national average of 8.9%,and lower than that of neighboring Wyandotte County. But the job base in Johnson County historically has been high wage and highly skilled, and most are accustomed to job security.

Such rapidly rising joblessness creates intense competition for existing jobs. But with the expansion of "job clubs," or gatherings of people looking for work, more and more are coming together to help each other out.

Laura Ziegler and Brian Ellison spent some time at job clubs,and prepared this report.