When Noy Rigoni lost his welding job in 2019, he figured he’d have no trouble finding a new one. The job market in the Portland, Oregon, area, where he lives in the suburbs, was solid, plus, trade groups report a nationwide shortage of welders. But Rigoni has been unemployed almost nonstop since 2019. Jobless aid and federal stimulus helped, but with that money gone, Rigoni and his wife had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. They’re in danger of losing their house.
“I’m 60 years old,” Rigoni says. “I’ve worked on things from bicycle parts to nuclear reactor parts for 35 years. So you would think I would have no problem getting a job. But the few times I go in for a weld test, I do very well, but then I’m not hired. They give no reason why. I have no criminal record so the only other thing I can think of is it’s my age.”
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