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TheBuzz Erika Engle |
Amid low unemployment,
thousands are still looking
for job opportunities
THE positive news of super-low unemployment numbers had Beth Busch wondering if anybody would show up at the Job Quest employment fair yesterday morning.
And anybody did. There was a line of people out the door at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.
The state's lowest-in-the-nation 2.9 percent unemployment rate means this is a job seeker's market, said Busch, Western Region vice president for Success Advertising Inc. The company co-sponsored the job fair with Oahu WorkLinks.
Some 4,571 job seekers twisted the turnstiles yesterday to take their talents to new taskmasters.
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The low unemployment numbers and high turnout lead Busch to believe that many attendees were looking to change jobs, or were looking for better positions or additional work.
Exhibitors included more than 130 employers, a record number, according to Busch. About two-thirds of the positions offered were entry level and about one-third were management jobs.
One job seeker, clad in the Ren & Stimpy T-shirt, probably won't be getting a management spot.
Another job seeker, Tricia, a state employee who didn't want her last name used, checked out Job Quest while on break, quickly reviewing the opportunities.
Jobs that sparked her interest include positions where she could make a one-on-one difference in people's lives. She took a turn at an interactive computer test for potential police dispatchers at the Honolulu Police Department booth. The cache of certain companies also attracted her attention, as evidenced by her, "Ooh! Servco!" as she stepped up to find out the nature of positions and range of pay being offered.
Possibilities at Hawaiian Electric Co. also piqued her curiosity, such as an executive administrative assistant position that could pay $36,000 or better.
One hour into the event, which opened at 10 a.m., home health services company Care Resources Hawaii had received applications from two registered nurses, a physical therapist and a medical social worker.
"Home care offers more flexibility than hospitals. Not such long hours and more one-on-one care," said Paula Hawes, who staffed the company's booth.
Other job fairs are happening this week around town.
An event yesterday at the Ala Moana Hotel was geared toward attracting local nurses seeking work on the mainland. "The numbers were a little low, but I'm happy with how it turned out," said Henry Roman, event organizer and president of recruitment advertising company HR Workshops.
"The goal was to have a small number of qualified nurses that had already made the decision to relocate to the mainland." His exhibitors were hospitals from California, Nevada, Indiana and Connecticut.
Retail and restaurant opportunities will be the focus of a job fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow in a second-floor conference room at Ward Warehouse. The 13 companies looking to hire seasonal and regular personnel include Borders, Verizon and Kincaid's Fish Chop and Steak House. Admission is free as is parking.
Updated job openings for several companies can be accessed online through www.successhi.com and www.oahuworklinks.com .