Hundreds of people browsed the booths set up by area employers during the 13th annual Job Fair at Dickinson State University on Wednesday.
Bonnie Bohlman, director of Career Services at DSU said the number of people who attended the event was up by about 50. She said 407 people came this year, while about 350 attended last year.
Jennifer Kuntz, who set up a booth for Market America, an internet-based business, was impressed by the amount of traffic at the event.
"I thought it would just be college students, but there's a lot of different people from the community," Kuntz said.
Lorraine Schank, customer service consultant with Job Service North Dakota, said a mix of eager employers sets up shop at the Job Fair every year, but there were less this year than in the past. She said last year there were 44 employers who took part in the event, while only 34 came this year.
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"It's economy driven," Schank said about the drop in numbers. "Some employers have had a hiring freeze."
Demetrius Gant and Ray Frederic, both of Dickinson, said they are job hunting because of a combination of a tough economy and circumstance.
"With the way the economy is going, you have to take what you can get," Frederic said.
Schank said a Job Fair gives employers a chance to meet and visit with potential employees before any paperwork is filled out.
"They may not always have the opportunity to do that if they're just dropping off an application," Schank said.
