Military enlistment benefits from economic downturn

(NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The outlook is bleak for working Americans. Nationally, the jobless rate is at 7.6 percent, the highest rate seen in the past 16 years. That number is expected to hit nine percent by the end of 2009.

In Michigan, it looks even worse, we're at a 10.6 percent unemployment rate and leading the nation in job losses.

Unemployment benefits are also at an all-time high nationally as nearly five million people are currently without work and receiving aid.

As the number of people without work continues to climb, so does the number of people who turn to other options to ride out the storm of economic chaos.

You may not see a 'now hiring' sign outside the Armed Forces Career Centers, but the military is always hiring, and there's probably no chance of any of the four branches going out of business.

Thomas Guertler showed up at one such center on Monday after he'd exhausted all the other options.

"Ain't no jobs out there," Guertler said. "The only thing that's hiring, sounds like to me."

Guertler is turning to the U.S. Army, which trails only Walmart in hiring.

Sgt. Matt Skidmore, the station commander in Battle Creek, says he's been seeing a lot more people like Guertler.

"We always ask the question, why did you come in today," said Sgt. Skidmore.

Sgt. Skidmore says that the answer is often the state's economy.

"There's a lot of stability within the Army," said Sgt. Skidmore.

Petty Officer Aaron Meschke, a Navy recruiter in Kalamazoo, agrees.

"We have seen a lot of people come in here and they are looking for something more secure," said Petty Officer Meschke.

The Navy can offered a guaranteed job for several years, guaranteed pay, guaranteed benefits and maybe even an enlistment bonus.

"We have job openings for many different jobs," said Meschke.

It was the prospect of jobs that brought Guertler to a recruiter in Battle Creek on Monday. For Guertler, the outlook outside the Army office isn't so positive.

"To me, I think I got a better chance in here than I do trying to go out and find something else," said Guertler.

Newschannel 3 also spoke with a man who recently found himself unemployed from a local auto dealership that went out of business. He told us he's interested in re-enlisting in the military.