Soaring unemployment hits Hudson Valley

A new government report released Friday shows that 651,000 jobs were lost in February alone, bringing the national unemployment rate to 8.1 percent - a 26-year record.
The soaring joblessness has also hit the Hudson Valley. Many residents, who are among the 4.4 million people currently out of work nationwide, are struggling to find employment.
Ever since losing his job as a cement truck driver at the end of January, Bruno Basso has been coming to the Orange Works Career Center in Middletown in hopes of finding employment.
"My main worry is to support my son in today's economy," Basso says.
Career Center coordinator Marie Blair says from one week to the next, the number of job hunters desperate to make mortgage or rent payments is growing exponentially.
"Every day it's actually really hard for us to keep the staff motivated because people are very upset," Blair says.
The services provided at the Middletown career center include assistance with job searches, job training, career counseling and help with resumes.