With Halloween nearing and a slow economic recovery, a costume shop gave a fortunate break to Stan Wingo, who was jobless and searching for employment for months.
Easley’s Costume Shop, a family-operated business located near Seventh Avenue and McDowell Road, hired 15 new employees since September to prepare for the Halloween season, which brings in more business to the shop compared to other seasons, said store co-owner Debbie Easley.
The shop sells costumes for various holiday occasions and theatrical plays.
Among those new employees was Stan Wingo, 35, who was jobless for six months after losing his business.
Wingo started an antique business last November with his friend, who is also his roommate.
“We bit off more than we could chew,” he said. “People weren’t spending as much money (on antiques) and we couldn’t keep up with the maintenance.”
Wingo lost his business in March due to the bad economy, he said.
The U.S. entered the recession in December 2007 and officially came out of it in June 2009, but the recovery has been at a slow pace, according to a report released Sept. 20 by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization.
Many jobs were lost in those 18 months and only an average of 68,100 jobs a month have been added in 2010. At the current pace it could take up to 2019 to regain the jobs the U.S. had before the recession, according to a New York Times published report on Oct. 12.
After losing the business in March, Wingo said he thought it would only take up to a month to find another job.
“When June arrived I was getting anxious,” Wingo said. “This has been the longest I’ve been unemployed. When I applied at different places they would tell me that they just weren’t hiring.”
Wingo’s roommate was getting a little frustrated as well because Wingo couldn’t help pay rent, he said.
While many people were applying for unemployment benefits, Wingo starting selling personal things to help pay rent.
“I sold my DVDs and CDs on Craigslist,” he said. “I also helped my friend sell some antiques online.”
In September Wingo applied at Easley’s with low expectations, but got a call three days after he turned in his application form, he said.
“I was excited when they called me back,” he said. “I guess I lucked out.”
Wingo never had a secure income while working at the antique shop. Wingo and his roommate barely made enough to pay $6,000 a month for rent to keep the business open, he said.
Now, he is making $8 an hour working about 35 hours a week.
After being jobless for six months, Wingo’s spending habits have changed and he is thinking of starting a savings account, he said.
“I can finally help my friend pay rent,” he said.
Even though Wingo’s current job is a seasonal one, they might keep him on as a part-time employee after Halloween since he’s been a good employee, store co-owner Carol Easley said.
Contact the reporter at uriel.garcia@asu.edu
