A new study shows that 96 percent of the state's job centers have given up some programs, and two-thirds have lost some of their staff because of budget cuts.
Many employees at the Portage County Job Center are picking up the slack by driving to Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield, and Adams to help out. Plus, the applicants and employers lose out because job center employees can't take the time to give them attention as individuals.
"I don't have staff at every job center to take job orders anymore," said Dorothy Miller. She's the supervisor of the centers in Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids, and Adams.
"We created an 800 number so the employers call the 800 number if they call a center that doesn't have job service staff. They forward the call to this center here (Portage County)."
Only two workers at the center in Portage County were let go, but some of the remaining employees say they're now frustrated because of the extra work they're responsible for.
The centers in Rapids, Marshfield and Adams have each lost half of their workers in the cuts.
