5,300 attend optimistic job fair at Blaisdell Center

Some 5,300 job seekers flocked to the first JobQuest Job Fair of the year at the Blaisdell Center on Jan. 13, down from 5,800 in September and 6,500 in May. The numbers attending might have been lower, but the atmosphere was more upbeat this year compared to last.

A total of 105 employers participated in the January fair, down slightly from 125 in September. 14 decided to sign up at the last minute, an indication that they are feeling positive about the economy, organizers said. Participating employers came from the banking, finance, communications, nonprofit, education, government and health care sectors. The U.S. Census Bureau, which is hiring between 2,000 and 3,000 temporary workers statewide, also conducted tests at the fair for interested applicants.

Hawaii's unemployment rate in November was a relatively low 7 percent, compared with the national rate of 10 percent. Still, Hawaii was one of four states to report job losses in November.

Among the firms hiring were ABC Stores, Hawaii Medical Institute, Covance, CDM Media, Easter Seals, Goodwill, Star of Honolulu and Wilson Homecare. The City and County of Honolulu is still looking to fill 43 more positions for the rail transit project, primarily in the engineering and finance positions.

JobQuest also launched its first-ever Virtual Job Quest yesterday at 3 p.m., immediately after the fair. The online simulation at www.virtualjobquest.com allows job seekers to visit virtual booths in an exhibition hall similar to Blaisdell, submit resumes and interact with employers.