Gary Thompson on the Atlantic City boardwalk
Atlantic City, N.J.
● Population: 39,558 (2010)
● Poverty rate, households with related children: 32.3% (2006-10 census estimate)
● Unemployment rate: 12.4% (April 2012)
Like a lot of visitors, Gary Thompson came to Atlantic City in May to spend the summer at the Jersey shore. At 68, homeless and with HIV, Thompson is no tourist, however. He's an urban migratory worker, down on his luck and searching for a seasonal job. "I don't care if it's security work, cleaning up. Right now they (the casinos) are kind of busy, so they are gonna snatch people kind of quick."
With its beaches, boardwalk and glitzy casino hotels, this New Jersey gambling destination is in its high season in summer. Hiring picks up in the warmer months, and that attracts boardwalk vendors, college students and people looking for low-skill casino jobs.
Thompson isn't being picky. He left his sister's place at the landlord's behest in the nearby town of Chatsworth, N.J., and now he's starting over. His first stop -- as for so many other job seekers who flock to this city -- was the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, a refuge here since 1964. Last year, nearly 3,000 people stayed at the mission, which served more than 200,000 meals and provided counseling, clothing and classes to help people find and secure jobs.
Every morning, Thompson packs up his satchel and carries his 30 pounds or so of possessions around town, looking for work.
The job search in Atlantic City and the surrounding area has not been easy these past few years. In April, New Jersey's unemployment rate was 9.1%, a full percentage point higher than the national average. In Atlantic City, the jobless picture was even grimmer. The city's unemployment rate in April was 12.4%, owing in part to the bruising that the gaming industry has endured since the 2007-2009 recession. (Revenues at Atlantic City casinos last year were $3.3 billion, 37% below their peak in 2006.)
The decline in casino-related tourism to the city does not bode well for Thompson and his fellow job seekers. Resting on a bench on the famed Atlantic City boardwalk, Thompson dons an official city vendor's license, identifying him as a resident of the rescue mission. If and when he gets a job, the license will allow him to work in the city.
For now, however, Thompson relies on the mission, as well as Social Security, disability checks and his own sense of optimism to keep him afloat. "However you got homeless," he says, "you gotta leave it behind. You got to start over."
-- Lang Kirchheimer
