GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. The Mesa County Workforce Center hosted its Jump Start Job Fair at the Doubletree by Hilton in Grand Junction on Tuesday. Officials say 1,311 people attended.
Folks came determined to find work, many filling out applications in the lobby.
Workforce officials say the fair had the highest number of actively-hiring employers in years, with about 40 businesses. They say that is because of Mesa County's continued competitive job market and unemployment rate.
Suzie Miller, business services manager at the Mesa County Workforce Center, said, "The number of people that have already come through doors today is an indicator that there are a lot of unemployed people, but a lot of willing people that really want that job."
Richard Kinney, who was at the fair applying for jobs, said, "I gave up for a while but now I'm getting back out there."
Workforce Officials say Mesa County has an unemployment rate of 8.6 percent, which is higher that the state and national averages.
