3,800 will lose their full-time jobs dealing a staggering blow to both families and the Galveston economy. Current unemployment rate is at 10 %. The total population in this island community is about 58,000. About 3,800 full-time jobs will be cut at the University of Texas Medical Branch as officials sharply cut back the island’s only hospital after Hurricane Ike caused severe flooding and deep financial losses.
Employees targeted for layoffs will receive pay until mid-January to help them through the holidays. By the middle of next week, medical branch officials will begin unveiling a detailed plan and notifying employees about their job status.
Houston, which is about 50 miles away, has an unemployment rate of just 5.1 %. For the families that will be getting notices of layoffs, Houston might be a long commute but you might be able to also find jobs in some of the cities between. Try this job search for the Galveston and Houston job market. It is an aggregate of all the major job search engines in one location.
File for unemployment and get information on your benefits in Texas here.
