Tens of thousands of job-seekers flooded a career expo and job fair held at The World Congress Center in Atlanta, Wednesday evening, Mar. 11, 2009. (Photo: Dave Bender)
Lines of job applicants dressed for success snaked across an entire floor of the exhibition center.
Applicants from across the southeast interviewed with representatives from over a hundred private and public employers, temp agencies, schools, training colleges and service organizations.
Dozens of banks of computers with internet access allowed applicants to upload resumes, and connect with potential employers at the career expo and job fair held at The World Congress Center in Atlanta, Wednesday evening, Mar. 11, 2009. (Photo: Dave Bender)
Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond says he’s encouraged by the conservatively-estimated 20,000-person turnout.
He says applicants’ willingness to accept work in new fields is key in finding a job in what he characterized as the roughest employment market since the Great Depression:
"The individuals who will be most successful in this economic downturn, in terms of finding jobs, will be the ones who are most adaptable to change, who are most flexible, who will look at the landscape and say, 'Look – this may be a temporary opportunity that will help me pay my bills, and better position myself for the opportunities that are in the near future.''Job-seekers packed a dozen workshops in polishing jobs- seeking skills, starting a business, managing personal finances and health care, and coping with extended unemployment.
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the unemployment situation statwewide.
