Unemployed New Yorkers Make Their Pitch At Midtown Job Fair
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- In this economy, any news of available jobs draws a crowd. Despite last week's wild Wall Street ride and a lack of consumer confidence, there was a ray of hope at a Midtown job fair on Monday.
At the job fair, attendees found all kinds of companies, from insurance to retail and much more. Those looking for work came from a variety of backgrounds, including child services professional Deborah Riddy and former business owner Matthew Manning.
"It's rough, been out of work two years now. I'm trying to see what's out there," Riddy told CBS 2's John Metaxas.
"I was getting my MBA in Virginia at the College of William and Mary and I've been looking for a job since I graduated in May of 2010," Manning said.
Many at the fair stood ready and willing to endure a long wait and make their pitch to potential employers.
"I'm trilingual. I have a lot of experience working in health care," said Andreas Saramides.
"I graduated from Syracuse a year and a half ago and I'm just kind of looking for a career path right now," added Sarah Lopez of New City.
The task of finding a job in the current environment may seem daunting because there are so many people looking for work. However, the employers at the job fair insisted they do have jobs available.
"If I can find one or two people, that would be fine. If I can find 30 people, that would be fine, too," said Larry Gordon of New York Life.
Many of the jobs being offered, however, were sales jobs that pay commission and not a salary. That seemed to be an issue for some.
"I can't work on commission, I need a salary," one man from Flushing, Queens said.
While some were disappointed they were unable to find anything in their field, others seemed to enjoy their interaction with companies looking to hire.
Recent statistics showed that employers posted more job openings last month -- a sign hiring might actually be picking up.
Are you struggling to find work? Do you see any signs that the economy might be picking up? Share your thoughts in the comments section...
