Dividends: Tuning In to Jobs

• Share

Ossie Jolly, 34, had been out of work for 2½ years after being laid off as a Chicago janitor. In late August he tuned in to Job Line, a TV show that lists employment opportunities and gives job-hunting tips. Within a week he was hired as a driver for a suburban firm.

Jolly is one of nearly 150 viewers who have found work through Job Line, a novel attack on unemployment that originates in WGN-TV in Chicago and is seen in 46 states. The job hungry watch the half-hour Saturday program and call in for information. At least 8,000 people have phoned from across the U.S. since the show started in August, even though all the positions are in the Chicago area.

Job Line runs mostly on volunteer labor. Nearly a dozen public and private employment services supply listings and donate manpower to handle the phones. An unpaid messenger brings the job notices to the station.

The program has scored a hit with companies as well. Firms ranging from Kentucky Fried Chicken to United Insurance Co. of America have phoned to urge viewers to call about work. With joblessness raging at near hurricane force, the Windy City seems to have found an effective way of fighting back.