Michigan Works! Holds April Career Fairs
In April, Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium hosted 4 Career Fairs across northeast Michigan, in Cheboygan, Grayling, Alpena and Gaylord. Despite Michigan unemployment levels being at a 40 year low, both job seekers in attendance and employers present were up from 2015 Michigan Works! Career Fairs numbers. In fact, in 2016, we saw a 32% increase in the number of job seekers and a 5% increase in the number of employers present (over 2015)!
Gone are the days of 200-300 job seekers showing up at Career Fairs (back when unemployment was at 15%). Today we are seeing a lower turnout, but those showing up are serious about finding jobs!
Employers at all four events commented on how professional and organized the 2016 Career Fairs were. Three of the four fairs had a speaker present to the employers prior to the start of the fair, which was well received by employers present. Employers, overall, were happy with the quality and quantity of the candidates that attended. Even though many job seekers attended with improper clothing (jeans, tshirts, etc), the employers themselves were happy to see applicants that were actively looking for work. With the current smaller job seeker pool, many employers are wiling to overlook a job seeker's attire.
Even if Career Fair numbers remain low (both job seeker turnout numbers and unemployment numbers) Michigan Works! will continue to hold the Career Fairs, as they are of great benefit to area employers. Though it is currently a “Job Seeker” market, meaning it’s much easier right now for job seekers to find jobs, employers are struggling to find enough candidates, so they love this free opportunity for them to present their openings to a larger group of candidates. Job seekers in attendance have also reported that they really like being able to meet with a wide variety of employers all in one location at one time.
