There are jobs galore in Ohio

Residents of the Mahoning Valley who choose to forget our history – of steel, that is – are doomed to believe Donald Trump when he promises to bring back the jobs that were lost almost four decades ago.

Indeed, Trump, the Republican nominee for president, has been attracting blue-collar white male voters with his pledge to restore America’s manufacturing might.

“We don’t make anything anymore” has been his rallying cry in the Rust Belt, including the Valley.

But there’s just one problem with what the New York City billionaire businessman is selling on the campaign trail: It’s unrealistic.

The days of massive steel mills belching clouds of black smoke, employing thousands of workers with nothing more than high school diplomas are long gone.

Indeed, the history of steel-making in the Valley includes two very significant words: “Black Monday.” The words refer to Sept. 19, 1977, when Jennings R. Lambeth, president of Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co., sent shockwaves through the region with the announcement that the Campbell Works in Campbell and Struthers was closing. More than 5,000 workers eventually lost their jobs. It was the beginning of the death spiral of the steel industry in the Valley.

All told, more than 40,000 residents found themselves out of work over the next decade.

White House position

But it was the policy statement from the administration of then President Jimmy Carter that was the knockout blow for the area that had long been known as a steel-making powerhouse in the country.

On Sept. 25, 1977, The Vindicator published a front-page story that opened with these paragraphs:

“The federal government will not rescue marginal steel plants like those in the Mahoning Valley, The Vindicator has learned in a series of interviews with Carter administration officials.

“Several senior federal policy makers acknowledge that few federal programs are planned to assist the ailing American steel industry. More significantly, however, the officials agree that any meaningful federal action on behalf of steel companies is almost certain to be wasted in the Mahoning Valley.”

President Carter sought re-election in 1980 and recognizing the importance of the heavily Democratic Mahoning Valley to his political fortunes, came up with a compromise of sorts: The federal government would establish a $100 million loan guarantee program to spark the development of small, specialty steel mills in the Valley.

Tellingly, there were no takers.

The belief of many steelworkers who lost their jobs and of union officials that the good old days of steelmaking could be revived was fantasy then, and it’s fantasy now.

Thus, when Donald Trump talks about bringing back the steel jobs that were lost in the Valley, what exactly is he proposing? He won’t say.

But even with his trademark vague political promises, this predominantly Democratic region is taking him seriously. That’s because a significant number of residents continue to yearn for a return of the Valley’s steel-making heyday.

That’s not going to happen – regardless of what Trump promises.

In fact, the GOP’s campaign in Ohio centers on his pledge to create so many jobs in the state that people will be begging him to stop – to paraphrase one of his favorite slogans.

But here’s a question for Trump supporters who envision thousands of jobs being created: Did you know that there are more than 130,000 private-sector jobs in Ohio that need to be filled now?

Gov. John Kasich, who has steered the state’s economic recovery for the past six year, bemoans the fact that employers are having a difficult time finding qualified applicants to work for them.

The situation is so stark that some companies are even offering to pay for training and are luring prospective employees with bonuses.

An internet search provides detailed information about the types of jobs, salary scales and the necessary qualifications and experience.

There are 104,467 full-time, 23,820 part-time, 4,172 contract, 3,706 commission, 3,532 temporary and 643 internship positions.

Of those, 24,194 jobs offer salaries of $50,000 or more; 46,391, $35,000-plus; 60,951, $30,000-plus; 79,878, $25,000-plus; and, 108,020, $20,000-plus.

So, if Ohio voters who are backing Trump envision employment prospects in the future, all it would take is a search online under Jobs Ohio and numerous listings would pop up.

On the other hand, it may well be the case that many Ohioans lack the qualifications and experience for the jobs that are now waiting to be filled. And then there’s the issue of passing a drug test.

It’s simply of matter of finding out what employers are looking for and then doing whatever is necessary to satisfy those needs.

The fact of the matter is that the demise of the steel industry in the Mahoning Valley began almost 40 years ago, and yet there are residents who would prefer to live in the past.

Trump is providing them with a false sense of economic well-being by saying he will use his position as president to force American companies to bring back all the jobs that have been shipped overseas and to initiate a manufacturing revival.

He ignores the reality of today’s economy: labor-intensive factories are a thing of the past. Computers, robots and other technologically advanced methods are now an integral part of the manufacturing process.

Here is a sampling of the jobs that were available as of last week:

Digital Dish – Satellite installer; $40,000 to $50,000.

First Energy Corp. – Customer Service Assistant.

State of Ohio – Behavorial Health Services administrator; $87,152.

ElectroCraft – GA Manufacturing Associate.

Amethyst – Licensed Social Worker or LCDCIII Case Manager; $32,000 to $35,000.

Department of Veterans Affairs – File Assistant (Scanning Coordinator).

On Friday, the U.S. Labor Department reported that 255,000 new jobs were created in July, more than had been anticipated.

The bottom line is this: If you want to work, you don’t have to wait for Trump to be elected president to find a job. Just go online.