Job seekers arrived at Black Hawk College with resumes in hand to visit the 87 different businesses booths. That is seven more booths than last year’s job fair.
Bruce Storey with the college says the employers are say they are hiring more as well.
The Obama administration claims to have brought nearly 12,000 manufacturing jobs to the state of Iowa since last year. We spoke with some companies today that say some of them are straight to the Quad Cities.
“A year ago December, we went from a 3 shift schedule- 5 days a week to a 4 shift schedule- 7 days a week," Rhonda Gebel of Uniparts Olson says.
With that increase, Uniparts Olson of Eldridge, Iowa - a parts manufacturer for construction and agriculture equipment - has created 70 new positions.
According to Gabe Simula of D.E.S. Employment group, that company is not alone.
"We currently have 20 plus manufacturing companies we do business with and that’s were we have seen the increase mostly in the food side of things and steel industry."
When temporary job agencies have a high demand to find workers, they have the opportunity to hire more as well. In the last year, they have more than doubled their employee base.
Simula says the increase numbers this year is a good sign for our economy and job force.
"I've been in the staffing agency for a quite a while and was a part of the initial down when things went downhill in 08-09 and its definitely changed, we are headed in an upswing."