Staff Writer
More than 10,000 job seekers showed up by noon Monday at the 18th Annual Job and Resource Fair at the Osborn Center.
The event drew more than 75 participating employers and vendors to distribute hiring information to job seekers from across Northeast Florida. The unemployment rate in metro Jacksonville is about 12 percent.
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown hosted the event with the City and WorkSource.
“It’s about getting an opportunity to get a job,” said Brown. “It’s all interconnected ... people need to pay their mortgages, but they need jobs to do that.”
While many of the employers required online applications, event organizers made it convenient for job seekers by providing computers and resource stations.
It was the first resource fair for both Leslie Gill, a human resources technician for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Brandon Poiencot, a job seeker, who talked shop at the Army Corps booth.
“There were a few companies I wanted to come out to speak with in person,” said Poiencot, who is in search of an engineering position. “So it was a pretty good opportunity.”
In addition to the employer and vendor booths, several job-hunting related workshops were hosted throughout the day by various organizations.
356-2466