Word Is Out: New Store Is Hiring

The mounting frustration of a three-week job search led to a hopeful three-hour wait for Wanda Santelmann on Monday morning at the state Employment Development Department’s San Fernando office.

The 41-year-old Van Nuys woman was one of hundreds who packed the office’s lobby to apply for positions at the Wal-Mart that will open in late May at the Panorama Mall. Santelmann, who said she left her job as a receptionist because of a two-bus-ride commute to Sylmar, is hoping to land a full-time position at the discount store.

“I think everybody has a good chance of getting a job because there are so many positions available,” Santelmann said as she waded through the crowd, listening for her name to be called.

Despite the lowest state unemployment of the decade, Wal-Mart’s first day of accepting applications and conducting interviews for its 300 full- and part-time openings drew a continuous crowd of eager applicants. Store manager Bernie Seaman said he and his staff of 14 aimed to get through at least 800 interviews Monday.

Large crowds are expected for the first few days of interviews, Seaman said, but should taper off by Saturday. He said about 200 people were showing up daily at the store site last week, inquiring about jobs. Since then, signs have been posted directing them to the Employment Development Department.

“I knew this was going to be big,” Seaman said. “Even the construction guys were getting asked about jobs, and that’s before we even got there.”

The Employment Development Department reported last week that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 5.8% in February, the lowest since August 1990. In Los Angeles County, the seasonally adjusted 5.8% rate is a drop from a revised 6.1% in January.

“Although the rate is down, it’s still a large number,” said Margaret Platt, a labor market consultant for the state. She said the percentage translates to 275,000 unemployed people in the county.

Statewide, the unemployment level is still higher than the national average of 4.6%, said Jack Kyser, chief economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.

Plus, Kyser said, many jobs are for more skilled labor, and that unskilled workers, including people just out of school, are still having a difficult time finding work. Businesses like Wal-Mart, where someone can get good benefits and industry-respected experience while earning a little more than minimum wage, are an attractive draw, he added.

Kyser said the East Valley’s changing demographics toward a higher population of immigrants who may lack proper schooling and work skills, and the closing of large industries in the early 1990s, make it a prime location for Wal-Mart.

And, he said, “When you have a large hiring, you get a stampede.”

Seaman said a line of people extended down the block when the doors opened at 8 a.m., causing long waits. By midmorning, the lines had diminished, but the lobby remained full.

For some applicants, the lobby was a loud, chaotic mess where people strained to hear their names called out or wiggled to the front desks to pick up the proper forms.

“I think there’s a lot of confusion because it’s not organized very well,” said a frustrated John Godschalk, 21, of Reseda. “Nobody knew where the applications were and where to hand them in.”

Godschalk said he had been waiting for an hour and still hadn’t handed in his application. Even then, he said, he had a long wait ahead of him.

After the applications were collected, names were called out and groups of 20 were shown a three-minute Wal-Mart video documenting its history and policies. After the video, applicants filled out the proper forms and, depending on the person’s amount of experience, a five-minute interview was conducted or scheduled, Seaman said. The second round of interviews will be held next week.

“It’s about a 20-minute process once they come in from the lobby,” Seaman said.

Fernando Aguayo of San Fernando said he was relieved to finally fill out the application. The 26-year-old repairman arrived when the doors opened, but his name wasn’t called until 11:30 a.m.

“I had been doing work as a handyman two or three days a week for about a year,” Aguayo said. “I wanted something more constant, so I don’t mind this wait.”

Jerry and Jackie Prejean of Mission Hills, who also arrived at 8 a.m. but opted for getting breakfast until the lines died down, said they were looking for part-time work to fill their time.

“We ran out of things to do in the house,” Jerry Prejean said.

The retired Mission Hills couple agreed that Wal-Mart will not only be good for the local employment rate, but it will anchor a revitalization of business in the once-prominent retail community of Panorama City.

“It goes both ways,” Jackie Prejean said. “There will be a lot of jobs and it will bring a lot of business into the area.”