Florence casino lures job seekers.

Byline: Winston Ross The Register-Guard

FLORENCE - What may be the single biggest hiring binge in Florence's history kicked off Friday, as hundreds of job seekers flocked to the Three Rivers Casino's new employment and information center.

The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians are hiring 250 employees between now and December, when the tribes' new $50 million hotel and casino are scheduled to open. It is a labor boom with a $12 million annual payroll that is expected to have a huge impact on the central coast.

"It's a really big deal for Florence," said Jack Roberts, executive director of the Lane Metro Partnership. "I don't know if we've ever had in Florence a single employer hire this many people at once."

Three Rivers' human resources director Stephanie Matthews said she's been getting dozens of calls from out of town, particularly from former residents who were forced to leave the area because of a lack of work.

"There's an unbelievable amount of response from out of the area," Matthews said. "The trend I'm seeing is people who want to come home: 'I grew up as a kid here, I had to relocate to be able to make a living.' '

Tim Rose, chief operating officer of the casino and hotel, said finding 250 employees had been a big concern. "But in the last several weeks," he said, "I've become more and more convinced of our ability to do that, because of the enthusiasm and calls we're getting."

Matthews is looking to Florence's burgeoning population of retirees as an important part of the labor pool. He says many retirees want to stay active and make a little cash on the side. The casino pays benefits at 32 hours, which is a rarity among other large employers in Florence. And even the minimum wage jobs - of which there are many - are likely to pay up to $14 an hour after tips are included, said Bob Garcia, assistant general manager of the casino and hotel.

Matthews likes the idea of having older employees who can relate to and interact well with Three Rivers' patrons, many of whom are also retired.

"They've got vast experience, they're social, they're interactive and their work ethic shouldn't go unmentioned, either," Matthews said. "They want to get in the thrust of things again."

Nevertheless, the 250 new employees are likely to span a variety of ages and back- grounds. Shaun Young, 43, showed up before Friday's 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony at the jobs center in hopes of finding work as a slot technician. He has a background as an electrician, he said, but lost his job at Diversified Electronics after a background check turned up a prison stint he had done in the early 1990s for a probation violation after a criminal trespass conviction.

Young thought the casino might be more forgiving.

"It's the only game in town," he said. "The only place that pays decent wages."

Krystalle McDaniel is hoping a family connection might help her get a job busing tables to earn money for college. Her father is the director of casino operations, but she had to apply on Friday the same as anyone else. McDaniel works at Mo's restaurant now, but figures the tips will be more reliable at Three Rivers.

"I heard it's going to be fast-paced," McDaniel said. "It's a good opportunity."

Current employees also were looking to bolster their skills at the job center on Friday. Lurisa Taylor, a blackjack dealer at the casino, showed up to learn how to deal craps - a prospect she found a little mind-boggling.

"It's a hard game to learn," Taylor said. "There are 36 different ways to get paid."

As old economy jobs in industries such as timber have dwindled in recent decades, the area's available work has largely shifted to the seasonal, tourist industry, Rooney said. That may explain why the unemployment rate in Florence reflected in the 2000 census, the most recent, was a whopping 9.9 percent, compared with 6.5 percent countywide.

The Florence unemployment rate may have gone down in recent years, however, as out-of-work residents fled the area in the face of soaring housing costs, Rooney said. "The increase in housing can price workers right out of the market."

Housing may wind up being the toughest part about finding new employees, Rose said, which is why the casino is focusing its recruitment efforts locally, between Reedsport, Yachats and Florence.

"It's unrealistic for us to reach much beyond the local community for these new jobs," Rose said. "Housing is always going to be an issue."

There are still plenty of people looking for jobs around Florence, as evidenced by the turnout at the job center Friday. According to the state Employment Department, there were 609 "active job seekers" in Florence in July, compared to 531 in a year ago.