A consistent paycheck is something many people in the Valley simply aren't getting these days.

The job situation is especially troubling in Page County.

The county's unemployment rate has been above ten percent for more than a year-and-a-half, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.

About two dozen state and local leaders gathered Wednesday to talk about the challenges facing the county. They were joined by a crowd of several dozen interested county citizens.

Before the meeting, Luray resident Kendra Krebs was trying to do something she says is really hard: find a good job in Page County.

She's seriously looking at jobs at Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Rockingham County, but it would make for a long commute from Luray for a mother of two.

"It's not as bad as working here for less money, if that makes sense, because you can work here for less money. But if the money's good enough to leave the county and get a job, then it would be worth it," says Krebs.

County Supervisor J.D. Cave was among the people meeting Wednesday to address the jobs issue. He was joined by Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R), state Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) and Page County Del. Todd Gilbert (R).

According to the VEC, the unemployment rate in Page County is about the same as it was last summer. In June, the rate was at 10.8 percent; a year before it was at 10.6 percent.

"It's not a good thing. It's too high, but at least it's not higher than it was," says Cave.

The county recently got interest from a company called Fibrowatt but turned it down. Fibrowatt burns poultry litter to convert it to energy.

"Well, we would obviously like something clean, friendly, maybe something to expand on what we already have," says Cave.

Gilbert says challenges like road access aren't unique to the county. However, he thinks what's especially tough is the combination of issues with which Page County grapples.

"I've never been one to say government could or should fix all of these things," says Gilbert. "The purpose of this meeting today is to just to ensure that Page County is squarely on the administration's radar when it comes to job creation."

It's a need that's not going away soon.

"My husband went from making a pretty good salary, to being laid off from that job, to making half what he was making. So, we've had to really downgrade," says Krebs.

Florhline Painter, the head of the county's job center, says people going through short-term job training programs are having success finding work. She says other people really aren't.

She's concerned about this winter, when seasonal jobs end and unemployment benefits could run out again.

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