MERRILL, WI (WSAU) — Over 120 workers in Merrill started the new year displaced after Semco announced it would close its production facility on December 31st. Now the state and community are teaming up to help get some of those workers back on their feet.
An informational, resource, and job fair will be held Wednesday at 12:30 PM at the Expo Center of the Merrill Festival Grounds for those workers. City Administrator David Johnson says it’s an important event because some of those workers may not know all the benefits they are entitled to.
“They’ll be explaining the in’s and out’s of unemployment, what they have to do to remain on unemployment, and to help them find a job somewhere else,” said Johnson.
For some, this could be their first time being eligible for unemployment. “There will be questions and answers as well as providing up-front information for them. Many of these people have not been unemployed before. They’ve worked for Semco or other places for many years.”
In addition to hearing about those resources, workers will be able to meet potential employers from both Merrill and Wausau during a mini job fair. Johnson says that includes manufacturing companies and other employers who are looking to fill positions.
Ideally, Johnson would like to see all of those workers stay locally but he knows with a good economy there’s no shortage of companies looking to hire skilled workers.
Johnson adds that shortly after the announcement of the closure, he received a call from a window manufacturing company in Illinois that was looking to hire some of the displaced workers.
