PUHI — Heads turned as people caught sight of the swarm of some 300 to 400 community members converging Wednesday at the doors to the Kaua‘i Community College One Stop Center. Residents — many victims of job cuts due to
PUHI — Heads turned as people caught sight of the swarm of some 300 to 400 community members converging Wednesday at the doors to the Kaua‘i Community College One Stop Center.
Residents — many victims of job cuts due to the economic downturn — were seeking employment at the job fair.
“We tried to limit the vendors to those who are actively seeking employees and have active job openings,” county Workforce Investment Act Administrator Jan Miyamoto said.
Wayne Mukai of WorkWise said the crowd was indicative of the number of people seeking work.
“Right now Kaua‘i has the highest unemployment rate in the state at 10.3 percent,” Mukai said. “Those numbers are as of March 2009, and the state is at 7.1 percent unemployment.”
Miyamoto said in real numbers, Kaua‘i’s figures translate to more than 3,000 people unemployed.
“That does not count the number of people that are underemployed,” Mukai said.
He described underemployed people as those who work less than 40 hours a week due to cutbacks.
“Workwise Development is partnering with KCC to do the fair this year,” said Connie Clausen, president of the Job Service Employers Committee. “The timing is planned to catch college kids looking for summer jobs and to allow businesses and agencies that will be getting stimulus monies for projects and expansion to meet as many qualified people as they need in a small amount of time.”
KCC will be celebrating its graduation on May 15.
But job seekers were not limited to KCC students as many people filed through the rows of less than 40 vendors.
“This is also indicative of the down economy,” Mukai said. “Normally, we have more than 60 vendors looking for employees. This year, it’s down to about 40.”
Prospective employees, many seeking employment for months, picked through the offerings.
One of those, preferring anonymity, said, “I used to have a job that paid well. But then I got laid off, and now, the jobs that are available means I need to take a $12,000 to $15,000 cut in pay.”
Others were more specific in their work choices, one spending the past several months seeking a clerical job.
“I’ve filled out applications and visited places, but am still waiting for the phone call for interview,” the candidate said. “I thought I would just come to check and see if anything new is available.”
The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas was the lone representation from the hotel industry on Kaua‘i that was soliciting jobs. A Marriott representative was there to help organize the fair but was not seeking applications.
There were 30 employers and four service providers at the job fair, according to Miyamoto, who was handling the Kaua‘i County table where computers were set up for prospective employees to fill out applications online.
“We have some openings available, but people interested should visit the county’s Web site where they are able to fill out applications,” she said.
