DICKSON CITY -- The Scranton Wilkes-Barre area has led the state in unemployment for months, so a job fair in Lackawanna County Wednesday was welcome news for many looking for work.
Shirell Paige of Lake Ariel found herself among the unemployed in Northeastern Pennsylvania first thing Monday morning. She spent two years working in the health care field. Now, she's looking to find work like plenty of others in Lackawanna County.
"I am looking for anything right now, I mean anything, I just got divorced, I have a house to pay for now, and I got laid off on Monday so I need something," said Paige.
Shirell decided to 'hit the ground running' at the Viewmont Mall job fair and came prepared.
"I dress the part, I have my resume handy, I`ve asked a lot of questions and I`m just going to take it from there," said Paige.
Shirell lucked out and was able to land a job with another health care company starting immediately.
"They wanted a position, they wanted a job, they just got laid off, and they really were eager to work and that`s what we`re looking for, And we are going to be good to them," said Becky Jacobs of Caregivers America.
Other job seekers, including Eddie Elkort are employed, but are looking for something to make ends meet. Elkort said he's happy to talk face-to-face with several potential employers rather than applying online.
"Look it`s an opportunity and in this type of economy that we`re having you`ve got to make the most of every opportunity that you get," said Elkort.
Many who are attending job fairs like this and becoming discouraged are deciding to seek out more education instead to make their search more successful.
"I just started looking for a job the last few weeks. I was laid off about a month ago from being employed for 32 years from the same employer," said Peg Cawley of Olyphant.
Cawley never expected to be job searching and has found mostly part-time openings. She's now looking to find affordable health care training to jump-start her job search.
"I`m looking into schooling and trying to find some assistance for it because it`s rather expensive because when you`re unemployed, everything costs something," said Cawley.
Many people at the job fair said their key to success was staying positive and being persistent. That's good advice for anyone looking to find a job in Northeastern Pennsylvania.