PLAINS TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The unemployment rate in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties hovers above five percent, which is higher than the state average according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A job fair near Wilkes-Barre was looking to change that.
Shraddha Kodhari from Wilkes-Barre said she has a college education. It’s been hard to get her foot in the door for a position she loves since she moved to the area from India. However, at the Great Northeast Job Fair at the Mohegan Sun Pocono on Tuesday, she was finally able to make some face time.
"I feel positive because there are so many companies here,” Kodhari said.
The job fair had close to 100 employers looking to fill full-time and part-time jobs in many different fields, from health care to Hershey.
“They have a lot of job interests, like I was at Topps, which does candy and stuff like that. I also like TJ Maxx. They have a lot of warehouse opportunities,” job seeker James Gallagher from Wilkes-Barre said.
“Lots of health care, lots of insurance, there's really such a wide range, so if you are looking for any type of job, you could probably find it here,” job fair organizer Brittany Garrett said.
Some job seekers filled out job applications, and others landed on-the-spot interviews. They could even leave with a brand-new job.
“We've seen a lot of candidates today and we're hopeful that we'll fill some of our openings today here at this job fair,” Eric Emiliani of the Azek Company in Scranton said.
Kodhari said she hopes to get a position in health care. She has a good running streak at these events.
“At job fairs, usually you can get lucky and get into one of them. Last year, I had one job and I got it from a job fair,” Kodhari said.
If you missed this one, there will be another Great Northeast Job Fair in May near Hazleton.