MCARD Hosts Third Annual Job Fair
Several hundred people attended a job fair hosted by MCARD and IowaWORKS on Thursday afternoon at Penn Central Mall.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Mahaska County Agriculture and Rural Development (MCARD) hosted their third annual job fair inside Penn Central Mall on Thursday.
The previous two years had growth in participation from one year to the next, and the attendance was heavy on Thursday as people explored new employment opportunities in southeast Iowa.
Employers from Fairfield, Ottumwa, Albia, and Marion County were among the areas represented. “We kind of open it up to all the counties, knowing that workforce is an issue in our southeast region,” said MCARD Director Deann De Groot.
IowaWORKS in Ottumwa was a partner with MCARD, and according to De Groot, “it’s a good opportunity for different businesses to come and attend. Obviously, I have a relationship with Mahaska businesses, but to get outside businesses to come in, they’ve played a role in that side of things.”
Many of those attending the job fair already have employment, but they took the opportunity to look into making a career change.
For employers, attracting quality employees is difficult, currently. Unemployment in the state of Iowa is at 3.2%, and Mahaska County is currently right at the state average.
Some area counties have varying unemployment rates, from a high of 5.3% in Wapello County to a low of 2.6% in Marion County.
Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.1%, which isn’t always an indication of how the economy is doing, it simply indicates a worker is unemployed and actively looking for work.
