Thousands of job seekers connected with employers on Wednesday looking to hire in Honolulu.
Attendance was up nearly 20 percent at the latest Workforce 2011 Job Fair at the Blaisdell, with plenty of big opportunities just ahead.
More than 7,000 people flocked to the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall for something that’s been in shorter supply the past couple of years — jobs.
"I’m very intimidated because there’s like a million people here and I don’t know if I’m going to get picked," said CJ Collins of Ewa.
Attendance was up over the last Workforce Fair held in January. They say the may timing often attracts graduates and summer hires.
But there were plenty of people of all ages looking to connect with major employers.
"We see people dressed a little bit nicer, trying a little bit harder. I think there’s more optimism in the air. People really feel like there are jobs here and they want to go after one," said Beth Busch of Workforce 2011.
Among the most popular stops — people hoping for a chance with Disney’s Aulani hiring more than 800 in its first phase for its soon to open resort and spa at Ko Olina.
"The soft economic period has probably has been a benefit for us. There are very talented people out there who are looking for work, and we want to make sure that we have an opportunity for them," said Aulani Vice President Djuan Rivers.
Also in the crowd, people looking to make a change
"I’m thinking customer service, maybe like in hotels, another airline," said airline employee, Lehua Itokazu. "I think my customer service, the years I’ve had in the airlines dealing with customers one on one."
She’s not alone. The organizer says a recent survey indicates 73 percent of people who have a job will look to change jobs this year.
"They’ll feel confident in the economy so there will be a lot of people here who are employed or passive candidates who are looking for a new opportunity," Busch said.
"There are very talented people out there who are already working that are looking for great growth opportunities," Rivers said.
And that includes those getting back into the job-hunt mode or just starting off in hawaii
"I’m only just getting back into the job market after having my son, so i’m pretty hopeful. Someone should hire me!" said Susan Trigger of Kapolei.
"We just moved here five weeks ago," said Ben Hilger of Waikele "I saw the great power in having all the employers in one location, so it was a great use of my time to be able to be in one spot to look for all the jobs."
The latest state forecast expects job growth of about 2 percent every year from now through 2014. That marks the first job growth since 2007.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
