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icon 48 PAJF823 <br />Mr. LeMieux commented that his statistics indicate that <br />roughly 100 of the work force in the county is unemployed at <br />this time. <br />Commissioner Fletcher assumed that this Department has <br />a priority on the payment of unemployment compensation over <br />employment services. <br />Mr. LeMieux stated that, as he understand it, the <br />budget cuts will be 800, but only 20% will be in the <br />unemployment compensation end of it. <br />Discussion followed as to the actual activity in this <br />office, and Mr. LeMieux explained the correlation between <br />the employment service and collection of unemployment <br />compensation, noting that those who collect unemployment <br />checks are provided lists of the jobs available; if "'the <br />person meets any of the qualifications for these jobs, he is <br />immediately sent to the employment service office; and if he <br />refuses to go, his check will most likely be stopped. <br />Chairman Scurlock assumed that the jobs list would <br />still be available in the Fort Pierce office, and Mr. <br />LeMieux confirmed that it would. <br />Chairman Scurlock inquired how many people this office <br />services a day, and Mr. LeMieux estimated about 500 a month. <br />He reported that people are sent to them by many agencies - <br />the courts, Mental Health, etc., and many are funneled to <br />them simply because they have no other place to send them. <br />Commissioner Bird asked if he envisioned that a <br />government-sponsored employment service can operate <br />independently of the Unemployment Compensation Division. <br />Mr. LeMieux noted that even if they could operate <br />independently, they still would be intertwined somewhere up <br />the line to see that the people who are applying for <br />unemployment do go out and look for work; this all is - <br />handled under a vast computer system. <br />