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Professionals Line Up For Jobs At Wiregrass

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By MICHAEL SASSO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 27, 2008

Updated: 09/27/2008 01:11 am

NEW TAMPA - Call it a sign of the economy.

At a job fair for the new Shops at Wiregrass mall Friday, hundreds of unemployed and underemployed people - including nurses, mortgage brokers and real estate agents - showed up to apply for retail jobs, which historically pay low wages.

Among the job seekers was Lynn Herndon, a real estate agent in Tampa's Carrollwood area. Technically, she's still selling houses, but sales are few and far between these days and that's hit her income hard. She's hoping to supplement her income until the housing market picks up.

"I just can't keep sitting around waiting for people to make a decision on a house," Herndon said.

"Plus, with the price of gas, before I drive them around I want to make sure they're serious."

She's vying for one of at least 300 jobs that will be created when the new mall opens Oct. 30 with a mix of anchor stores, including JCPenney, Dillard's and Macy's, and smaller shops in an outdoor "lifestyle center" setting.

Recruiters for more than 35 shops showed up Friday at the fair, held at the Holiday Inn Express at 8310 Galbraith Road in New Tampa, about five miles south of the mall.

The job fair will be held again today.

Most entry level sales jobs being offered at the mall will pay between minimum wage, $6.79 an hour, and $10 an hour. While many jobs would be part-time, on a full-time basis they would pay between $14,123 and $20,800 a year.
Store management job salaries depend on experience level, said Joyce Corbine, an official with Career Central, a nonprofit group coordinating the fair.

According to Florida labor market statistics, the median wage for a retail manager in the Bay area is $18.17 an hour, or about $37,800 a year on a full-time basis.

Many jobseekers arrived early Friday. About 75 lined up before the 10 a.m. opening, and after the fair had been open for an hour about 225 people had passed through its doors.

Organizers of the event said they expected about 1,000 applicants on Friday alone.

Many were young, perhaps seeking part-time or first jobs. But a surprising number appeared middle-age and had professional or skilled backgrounds, often in real estate.

Several said they had been searching for weeks or months with little success.

They face significant competition for jobs, though. The unemployment rate in Florida hit 6.5 percent in August, the highest rate since January 1995.

A year ago, the unemployment rate was 4.2 percent statewide.

Edward Boyd, 57, of Spring Hill had been driving to Ocala every day to work at a printing press. But as the economy faltered, advertisers cut back on printing orders and his employer cut jobs. He was earning $14.25 an hour, but is prepared to take a job paying less in retail if he can land a job.

"I've mailed my resume to 12 printing companies in Tampa and haven't heard anything," Boyd said.

Maria Javinett of Tampa also was among the applicants Friday. She said she lost her job in the mortgage industry months ago when the housing downturn hit. She worked for Countrywide Financial earning $37,000 a year plus bonuses, but has been unemployed since January. Her unemployment compensation ends in a few days so she's seeking any job she can get.

The mother of a disabled child, she has tried to land a job in health care and at a call center, a big industry in Tampa.

"Getting a job in a call center wouldn't be fun," she acknowledged. "But it's called survival."

Shops at Wiregrass Job Fair

Location: Holiday Inn Express
8310 Galbraith Road, New Tampa

(near I-75 and Bruce B. Downs Blvd.)

Time: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday

Job openings: 300

Participating retailers and restaurants include:

Dillard's, Macy's,

JCPenney, Cosi, Zales, Barnes & Noble, Moe's,

Bath & Body Works, Select Comfort.

Reporter Michael Sasso can be reached at (813) 259-7865 or msasso@tampatrib.com.

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