8.59 MILLION NOW JOBLESS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE CLIMBS TO 6%.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

Dampening predictions of a speedy recession recovery, the Labor Department reported Friday that unemployment reached an eight-year high of 6 percent in April.

More than 8.59 million Americans are now out of a job, up 483,000 from March. Firms did add jobs, roughly 43,000, but far below the number needed to bring down unemployment. California outflanked the national rate, posting 6.5 percent unemployment at last report, and Los Angeles was higher still, with 6.7 percent of workers without a job.

The latter group includes Margie Link, a West Hills resident who lost her job at Bugle Boy's Simi Valley warehouse a year ago. Though she's taken computer classes to improve her chances of landing a position, she frets that at age 60, she'll be beaten out by younger candidates.

``I used to be the missing link,'' she joked. ``Now I'm the weakest link, the weakest at getting a job.''

She remains optimistic, but realizes the labor market's current tightness makes it a tough task to nail down work. Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., blames early perceptions of a recovery for the difficulty in finding jobs.

``A lot of people were getting carried away about the strength of the recovery and downplaying how bad the downturn was,'' he said. ``But there were too many things that we saw that showed there'd be a slowdown in gross domestic product growth in the second quarter, which will slow down hiring. Unemployment will probably go up nationally, in the state and locally.''

In work-challenged areas of the San Fernando Valley, it's already higher than 14 percent, according to data from the Valley Economic Development Center. Patrice Wong, who directs VEDC's work force and training division, said the numbers of workers with barriers such as limited English proficiency, transportation problems or unusual work histories have hit all-time highs.

``Times are getting tougher, and people are having a hard time finding work,'' she said. ``Quite honestly, we're placing fewer people in jobs than in past months.''

Still, experts said more opportunities are popping up in food service, manufacturing, motion pictures and health care. That would prove useful for Andrew Sanderson, who's been teaching himself PowerPoint to broaden his skills to re-enter the work force to try to land a job in a clinic. The 52-year-old North Hills resident has embarked on an aggressive re-education campaign, trying to sharpen himself as much as possible before jumping back into the work world.

``There's a lot of people out there vying for fewer and fewer positions,'' he said. ``I thought I should work on my skills to make sure I was current before I tried to see what's out there.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, chart

Photo:

(1 -- color) Andrew Sanderson of North Hills uses a computer at the Canoga Park Worksource to look for jobs.

(2) Job seeker Margie R. Link of Canoga Park uses a Canoga Park Worksource computer to research employment opportunities.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

Chart:

UNEMPLOYMENT

SOURCE: Department of Labor