YUMA - Since losing her job at McDonald's, Crystal Ryan has been without work for a year and is scrambling to support her year-old son. After submitting 20 to 30 applications, she isn't picky about where she would work.
"It kind of breaks your self-esteem," Ryan said as she reviewed job postings recently at the Yuma Private Industry Council's job-resource center. "You can get an interview here, but you can't get the job."
In a state where unemployment remains high as much of the rest of the nation recovers from the Great Recession, Yuma stands out. The metropolitan area's jobless rate of 29.4 percent in August was the nation's second highest, trailing only nearby El Centro, Calif., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unemployment is high elsewhere in rural Arizona, with Santa Cruz and Apache counties following Yuma County at 18.4 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Unemployment was at 12 percent for residents of rural areas in 2010, as compared to 9.7 percent in Arizona's urban areas, says the Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service.
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In June, the Legislature declined Gov. Jan Brewer's push to accept extended unemployment benefits offered by the federal government for those who have used up their benefits. The governor cited rural unemployment as a reason to do so.
Amid all of this, people such as Roberto Vazquez struggle to find scarce work in rural areas. Despite speaking three languages and having experience as an office manager, he has been unable to find work for three months since losing his job with Walmart in Yuma.
"I have a little bit of trouble getting a job, but I have to be positive to get a job," Vazquez said.
Yuma's jobless figures are especially high due to the seasonal nature of agricultural hiring. There are jobs in the county during the peak produce season beginning around November, but those workers file for unemployment when the agricultural work is no longer available, said Patrick Goetz, education and training manager for the Yuma Private Industry Council.
The loss of state jobs and closures of businesses, has sent the numbers even higher, he said.
Karen McLaughlin, director of budget and research for the Children's Action Alliance said not extending unemployment benefits had a disproportionate impact on rural areas.
Unemployment benefits range from $60 to $240 per week.
"Towns that have really high unemployment, they're going to be suffering because that money's not there anymore," she said.