Published: October 02, 2008 01:23 am      

ECONOMY: 1,000 job seekers attend Fall Job Fair at The Summit

WHEATFIELD — With the nation’s economy in a meltdown, times are tough for employers and job seekers alike.

Plenty of both were in search of the right fit Wednesday afternoon during the Niagara County Fall Job Fair at The Summit mall.

More than 1,000 job seekers — some dressed in suits, others in jeans and work boots — came armed with firm handshakes and plenty of copies of their resume to distribute among nearly 100 prospective employers.

There was a bit more urgency for some job seekers. Doug Stroud of Lockport is currently employed at Sherwood Valve in Wheatfield, but he won’t be there much longer. The company is closing next week, a move that will put Stroud and 146 other employees out of work.

Stroud, 44, was looking for work in production planning. “There seems to be a pretty good range of employers,” he said. “Better than I expected.”

That seemed to be the consensus among employers and job hunters alike. “This is amazing, I’m surprised, actually,” said Jeffrey D. Pula, a staffing manager with Office Team, a Buffalo company that specializes in administrative staffing.

Pula received a steady stream of resumes. “We’ve been to a lot of job fairs, and this is the biggest turnout I’ve seen. Good quality candidates, too, which makes a difference.”

Leslie Nickerson of Youngstown was looking for a customer service position. She was working in tourism at Old Fort Niagara, a job that she hoped would turn into something permanent, but it didn’t pan out. She’s been searching for work since the summer.

“It’s been difficult,” said Nickerson, 27. “I think a lot of people are looking for work in this area. There’s a lot of competition.”

New York state added 3,000 private sector jobs in August, the state Labor Department reported last month, and New York’s unemployment rate increased to 5.8 percent in August from 5.2 percent in July, the largest monthly increase in more than 17 years. The country’s unemployment rate, meanwhile, was 6.1 percent.

Neil Schropschire of Buffalo said he circled a few employers he wanted to speak with during the job fair. “It always helps to have an idea going in,” he said. Schropschire, 51, was laid off from his job at TeleTech in July. “It’s tough to find something you can do that’s going to pay,” he said. “I’m hoping I’ll find something I’m skilled at and that I enjoy doing.”

Wednesday’s job fair was sponsored by Niagara County Work Source One, Workforce New York and the state Department of Labor. The Labor Department holds a job fair at The Summit in the fall and spring and typically does one more in Lockport.

The fall event tends to attract approximately 500 job seekers, said Nancy Crosby, of the Labor Department. “I expect well over 1,000 people. We’ve already run out of all of our papers and it’s only been an hour.”

Companies on hand during the event ranged from the Adams Mark Hotel to the Catholic Health System and Watson Bowman Acme-BASF. Plenty of Niagara County employers were present as well, including Mount St. Mary’s Hospital, Niagara-Wheatfield Central School District and United Biochemicals.

“I think it’s a really positive experience for the employers,” Crosby said. “They get quality job seekers, quality applicants, and lots of them. And having all these employers under one roof is really good for the job seekers.”

The Niagara County job fair has been particularly successful for Valu Home Centers, which accepts resumes there for management level positions only; it hires hourly associates at the store level.

“A lot of people are looking for jobs in this economy,” said Valu District Manager Mike Arena. “We always feel it’s worthwhile to stop at these. We’ve had success. It’s not easy (for job-seekers) because the market’s flooded. We can be selective.”

Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.