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As high school seniors and college seniors graduate this month, now is the time to get out and secure a job while the need for workers is plentiful.

For high school and college students who are looking for a job, there is no greater opportunity to work than during the summer.

When June rolls around, Mississippi will be hotter than the fifth layer of the sun. What if you had a job that paid you to be inside in air conditioning? Restaurants and hospitality jobs will begin to open up as waves of tourists come to Natchez. Those businesses in our community are desperate for workers right now. Some are being forced to limit hours because of the lack of workers.

Developing healthy work habits before you graduate into the real world is important. Lessons learned on your first job will carry over to every job you have after that.

The more Mississippi opens up, the more job opportunities there will be. If you are an adult who will need a job at some point soon, now is the time to start looking. Currently unemployment benefits are $300 a week, but those funds will end in the beginning of September. That’s a short four months from now.

It is unlikely, considering the number of businesses in need of workers in our country that unemployment benefits will be extended past early September. At that time, the job market will be flooded with people looking for work. If you are one of those who doesn’t plan to return to the job market until those beefed up pandemic benefits end, wouldn’t you be much better off to find a job now, rather than wait until you are competing with a glut of people looking for jobs come September?

In Natchez, there are an estimated 700 job openings available. Residents of Adams County can go to the Natchez WIN Job Center, a job placement center on John Pitchford Parkway. Natchez WIN can be reached by phone 601-442-0243. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

On Wednesday, the office closes an hour early at 4 p.m. Available jobs can be found online at mdes.ms.gov/win-job-centers/natchez-win-job-center.

Don’t wait until September to begin looking for work. Remember what they say about idle hands. Get up, get out and do your part as a productive member of society. Your community needs you to go to work right now.