Tuesday morning dozens of people lined up at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland for the Diversity Day Career Fair. They showed up to try and convince 20 employers to hire them.
Quinticia Young has been out of work for a year and a half. Her last job was as a case manager for a local non-profit. Now she's looking for any customer relations job.
"It's been hard, it's been really hard looking for a job. I try to get out at least 10 resumes a day. With the work pool the way it is, like 500 other people applying for that job too. So, I just try to stay positive," said Young.
Jessica Myers has been without full-time work for the past five years and had to bring her 3-month-old son, Stephan, to the job fair.
"Especially trying to be a single mom, now a single mom of two, not being able to have much of an income is not easy. I mean, trying to find ways to get food and clothes and have a place to stay. You have to be resourceful," said Myers.
Employers like Bay Area-based software company Sybase to Home Depot and the UCSF Medical Center took applications for four hours, but most were seeking individuals who were already well trained.
"We're obviously looking for someone with patient care experience," said Jessica Driesler from the UCSF Medical Center.
There were some entry level jobs at AAA and Home Depot. Some employers had 20 positions open, others had over 100.
According to state figures for May and June, government, education, construction, and manufacturing all showed job losses in Alameda County. The only industries with a small job gain were leisure, entertainment, and hospitality.
Organizers say close to 2,000 people showed up from all over the Bay Area to attend the career fair.
If a job in the health field interests you, you can attend the next California Job Journal HIREvent at the Hilton Garden Inn in Emeryville on August 31 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
