Washington Post journalist, Amy Goldstein’s in-depth study of the effects of closing factories in middle America is a surprisingly riveting read.
Just before Christmas in 2008, the General Motor’s factory in Janesville, IL closes – putting thousands of GM employees out of work and leading to thousands more as suppliers and other business are affected. The largest employer in the region, the impact of losing these jobs is frightening for both the employees and the community leaders.
Employees and their families suffer from the lack of other similarly paying jobs. People need to take multiple jobs just to bring home a portion of their old salary. Families are forced to rely on their teenager’s contribution to the family income, something parents never envisioned. Community leaders and resource centers struggle to support the increasingly number of families that are losing their homes, need job training, rely on non-profits for healthcare, food supplements and more.
How can they attract new employers to the area so their citizens can earn a living? How should they retrain the old GM employees so they are an attractive workforce for new employers? Will they ever be able to get a job with the same salary & benefits as GM?
The real life experience of dozens of former GM employees, adult educators, family members, and community leaders tells the hard story of parts of America where closing factories and job losses take a toll on individuals, families and the community. There are bright spots in this story but like life, the ending is not a satisfactory.
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