PAULDING, OHIO (Indiana’s NewsCenter) - The Buckeye state's April unemployment numbers are the highest in 25 years.

Indiana’s NewsCenter sat down with Jan Bendel, a 53 year-old out of work Ohio woman who is looking for a job, to find out how difficult the process of finding a job can be.

“I'd take a $2 an hour pay cut to get my job back,” Bendel said as she searches for jobs online.

Bendel fell victim to the slowing economy in December. She was let go from her second shift-welding job at Alex Products, a manufacturer of automotive seat frames, in Paulding, Ohio.

“It's just hard,” Bendel said as she wipped away a tear. “I miss my friends and my routine and you know.”

Officials with the Alex Products won't comment on employee situations. But Bendel says she and her friends were laid off because the big three automakers shelves were full.

“I don't think there's been any family that has been un-effected by this, by this recession,” Paulding County Economic Development Director Tony Langham said. “Every family has had a member of their family lose their job.”

Langham says Paulding County has an unemployment rate of more than 13 %. The Buckeye state's unemployment rate is more than 10%, a 25-year record.

Bendel says it’s tough competing with so many out of work Ohioans. And she finds it more difficult because she doesn’t have her degree.

“It's just been really rough. And if I was 20 years younger, I'd go back to school but it would take me another 3 years to get my full degree, and I'm just too tired,” Bendel said.

She says she feels like she is being punished for something out of her control.

“I'm a good employable hard working person,” Bendel said. “I hardly missed a day of work, showed up on time everyday, you know did my job, didn't loaf. You know, but it doesn't matter. It's all seniority and that's it.”

But she says she won't give up on finding a job.

“I'll just take it a day at a time that's all you can do,” Bendel said.

If you need help finding a job in Ohio visit Ohio’s employment agency Accent at the following link.

http://www.accentohio.org/default.asp