At the end of October, the Positronics plant will shut its doors for good. It will raise the county’s unemployment rate, which is nearly 9 percent now. The Positronics workers have a message for any business owner willing to listen.

If you know anything about Cabool, people who live here say you should know this: "We're not lazy people around here; we want to work,” said Linda Flageolle.

Flageolle says she'll put her company's work ethic up against any other.

"We don't want to be on unemployment,” she said.

That's exactly where she and 35 of her co-workers are headed come Oct. 30 when their plant closes up shop. Even the bosses here will be no longer.

"This was going to be my last job, but evidently not,” said Flageolle.

For some of the 36 people soon to be out of work from here, this is a first. But at least nine of them know exactly what to expect; for them, this is layoff number five.

"In this economy, who has job security?" asked Carla Burch.

Burch thought for sure that a company specializing in technology would be safe. She put Positronics’ work up there with the health care industry and teaching. She's now learned otherwise.

"We assemble computer parts,” she said.

Now that her company has pulled the plug, she says the debate over health care is hitting way too close to home.

"I really understand the need for affordable health care; I have four children of my own and we struggle,” she said.

What she won't do is give up. She's just hoping someone, some business, will come in and save the day.

"If they are willing to come, this is a dedicated work force area, employees that have perfect attendance, and they are dedicated and willing if they just give us the job opportunities."

A lot of people who live here say they want to stay here, even though the average annual wage for Texas County is $24,000 a year. In Greene County, it's $33,000 a year. But it's the rural life and small town that they don't want to leave.