Filling out job applications and writing resumes and cover letters can be tedious, especially when it seems like jobs are difficult to come by. But the problem isn't always the lack of available openings, it's the amount of education and experience needed. Our Cara Thomas tells us why so many jobs stay unfilled and has advice on how to stand out to employers.

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CANTON, N.Y. -- It's no secret that St. Lawrence County has had a history with high unemployment rates and over the last three years, the labor department has seen more than a three percent increase in unemployment from six percent in 2008 to over nine percent in 2011.

Jean Hantz at the One-Stop Career Center in St. Lawrence County says for every job opening, there are usually at least four applicants.

"It is an employers' job market, meaning that they can raise their standards very, very high, because they have a choice and if they don't hire you, they know there's three more people behind you that they have the potential to hire," said Hantz.

So it isn't just the employers a job seeker needs to worry about, it's the competition. Hantz says because the job market is so competitive, it is important to look for education courses or vocational programs. She also said long periods of inactivity look suspicious to future employers and to stay busy with a part time job or even volunteering.

Hantz says, "Stay busy, stay active, stay involved in the labor market."

Hantz says many of the current job openings are on opposite sides of the spectrum, either entry level or low paying jobs, or advanced jobs that require a lot of education and experience.

Congressman Bill Owens disagrees, pointing to 3,400 unfilled jobs in his district alone, a number he says will only increase with the start of upcoming economic development projects.

"What we're trying to do at every level of government, is to provide people information about jobs that are out there and available and then trying to get people to apply and get employed because that's really how we're going to get out of the recession," said Owens.

"Economic development, government, everyone working together to create more jobs, I think it can happen, but it's going to take some time," said Hantz.

With the amount of jobs being created for 2012, Congressman Owens says he is seeing signs of the economy slowly making a comeback.

Owens says a lack of education and skills aren't the only things keeping people unemployed. Other problematic areas such as child care and transportation also make it difficult to get a job. Owens says he is working with people in the community and the career centers to find ways to address these concerns.