First I went to the Manhattan Jobs Center and asked, “Can I get help finding a job?” They told me they don’t do that. “We sign people up for food stamps.” I tried another jobs center. They told me to enroll for unemployment benefits.
I explained that I didn’t want handouts; I wanted a job. I was told to go to WorkForce1, a New York City program. At WorkForce1, the receptionist told me that she couldn’t help me since I didn’t have a college degree. She directed me to another center in Harlem. In Harlem, I was told that before I could get help, I had to come back for an 8:30 a.m. training session.
WorkForce1’s website says to arrive 30 minutes early, so I did. A security guard told me the building was closed. At 9:15, Workforce1 directed 30 of us into a room where we were told that WorkForce1 directs candidates to jobs and provides a resource room with free phone, fax and job listings and helps people apply for unemployment insurance and disability handouts. This seemed like the only part of the presentation when people took notes.
One lady told me that she comes to WorkForce1 because it helps her collect unemployment. One asked another, “What do you want to do?” The second laughed, “I want to collect!” One told me, “I’ve been coming here 17 months; this place is a waste of time.”
Finally, I met with an adviser. She told me I lacked experience. I know this. I asked for any job she thought I was qualified for, and she scheduled an interview at Pret, a food chain that trains employees. At Pret, I learned that my interview was just a weekly open house, publicized on the company’s website. Anyone could walk in and apply. Workforce1 offered no advantage. Despite my scheduled interview, I waited 90 minutes before meeting a manager. He told me that WorkForce1 had wasted my time, as they always do. He said, “They never call, never ask questions.” He prefers to hire people who seek out jobs on their own, like those who see Pret ads on Craigslist.”
Here are my conclusions:

• It’s easier to get welfare than to work.
• The government would rather sign me up for welfare than help me find work.
• America has taxpayer-funded bureaucracies that encourage people to be dependent. They incentivize people to take “free stuff,” not to take initiative.
• It was easier to find job openings on my own. The private market for jobs works better than government “job centers.”