Ohio School Janitor Job Gets 700 Applicants

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When I am debating public policy with friends and family, those on the conservative side often say something like, “I don’t want my hard-earned money going to people who just sit at home living off the government.”

I usually reply with two things, “You are going to pay one way or another.  Maybe it will be through higher crime rates, or maybe something less direct, like a bad economy, low stock prices, or reduced value of the dollar.  Wouldn’t you prefer to invest in your community on the front, constructive-end over the unsafe, uncertain tail-end?”

And then I say, “Most people who are out of work during high unemployment and recession want to work….”

MASSILON, Ohio — Evidence of the slumping economy is stacking up at an Ohio school which has nearly 700 applications for one open janitorial job.

Officials at Perry Local Schools near Canton in northeast Ohio say they’ve extended the deadline until Monday to accommodate the overwhelming response to the week-old posting.

The full-time position at Edison Junior High School pays $15 to $16 an hour plus benefits.

Superintendent John Richard says many applicants are laid-off workers with heart-wrenching stories about the tough economic times.

Forty-nine-year-old Donna Croston says she applied after losing jobs at two nearby factories that closed.

Croston says her chances of being hired amid the hundreds of applicants are slim, but she’s hoping to get lucky.

Ohio School Janitor Job Gets 700 Applicants