LUBBOCK Texas- One Lubbock couple is forced to find ways to survive after losing their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hilda Morales said she was working at a hotel when she was laid off and that the idea of not having a job has been emotionally taxing.
“I get depressed sitting there and I start getting panic attacks, anxiety attacks because I get scared, losing my house and being homeless again like last year,” she said.
Morales said she and her husband were unable to pay their rent for two months but were able to get assistance through The Salvation Army.
Benjamin Morales, her husband, said he does subcontract work for someone but that things slowed down due to his employer’s fear of the coronavirus.
“I worked for this guy for 14 years already,” he said. “With the coronavirus his wife is really ill and basically we had to be apart so that way nobody gets sick.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 5,000 people were unemployed during the month of March in Lubbock.
Martin Aguirre, CEO of Workforce Solutions South Plains, said although the job climate has changed, job seekers should not lose hope. He said flexibility and persistence is key to finding a job amid this pandemic.
“If you’re looking for work, you have to be open to consider other opportunities,” he said. “The idea is you going back to work, it’s not necessarily you going back to work in the same job or in an identical job.”