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CNN Live At Daybreak

Job Fair Being Held for Workers Displaced by 09/11 Attacks

Aired November 15, 2001 - 08:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Help for victims of the World Trade Center is coming in many different forms, and today it is in the form of jobs. A job fair is being held for workers displaced by the attacks. The event is happening right across the street from here at Madison Square Garden, and Billy Bush is standing by to give us a sense of the level of either optimism or pessimism as these people continue to wrap a two-block area there.

BILLY BUSH, CNN GUEST HOST: Optimism, Paula. Optimism only.

This is the third job fair. Giuliani had two in October, and this is one going in November, and people who got turned away from the first two actually have priority today. It's the yellow ticket, that's the hot thing to have is the yellow ticket.

And with me standing here is Issa Alvarenga Duran. She is living in New York now 10 years, right, from California?

ISSA ALVARENGA DURAN, UNEMPLOYED WORKER: Yes.

BUSH: And you were in computer consulting and displaced from the accident of the World Trade Center? You were in what is known as the red zone, right?

DURAN: Yes, I was working out of the red zone, and I was making pretty good money for the last year consulting out of that area, but of course that's all gone now. The office I used to consult out of was destroyed.

BUSH: So what is your exact field? It is computer consulting. Are you in research, or in data?

DURAN: I'm in research. I'm a technical assistant. I am an administrative assistant at times.

BUSH: Where are you living here in Manhattan.

DURAN: I live on the upper west side.

CAFFERTY: Can I ask you, are you having a hard time paying bills and meeting the rent and things like that, has it gotten to you yet?

DURAN: It has. However, I have been to the Red Cross, and they have come through for me now. It was tough at first, a lot of paperwork, and almost having to beg, but then afterwards I spoke a supervisor, and then I was able to get the assistance I needed.

BUSH: You came to one of the first job fairs of October, you came to both or just one.

DURAN: Yes, I've been `trying to get in.

BUSH: And you got turned away?

DURAN: Right, the crowds were unbelievable, the lines, and hours of waiting, and then they would shut them down, you know, after you came up to a certain point, but they will give you a priority pass so you can get in from the next fare.

BUSH: So you are up front, you got a good spot in line here, and do you expect to speak to all kinds of people in computer, or also in other fields?

DURAN: You know, I am open to just about anything right now. I want a permanent job with excellent benefits, and I feel very confident that I'm going to get a job.

BUSH: I think you should. Issa, optimism, thank you very much for joining us. You take care.

Paula, back to you.

ZAHN: Boy, I wish those folks a lot of luck. I can't even imagine what it's been like to be displaced. I am surprised people were holding up as well as you suggest they are. They really believe they are going to land jobs today?

DURAN: Absolutely. What the mayor's office is saying is that there are 15,000 jobs available, and if you look at the last job fair, they said that there was 6,200 prospectives and there were over 8,000 people here. Well, do the math, there seems to be more jobs that than people, but we actually see how that turns out.

ZAHN: Thanks Billy. See you a little bit later on.

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