Unemployment is about twice as high in Prince George’s County, Maryland, since just before the pandemic began. So on Tuesday, jobseekers and companies that are hiring will have a chance to connect.
Walter Simmons is president and CEO of Employ Prince George’s, which is hosting a job fair at City of Praise Family Ministries in Landover.
About 1,000 jobs are available from retail to hospitality to health care.
“Forty-five businesses, with about half of those businesses doing interviews on site,” Simmons said. These include “Staybridge Suites, Country Inn, Hampton Inn and MGM National Harbor.”
Amazon will also be there.
Anyone can show up at the job fair, and for experienced workers, Employ Prince George’s also has a special program to help people over 50 looking for work.
The Encore Program is a demographic-specific workforce development program that provides job seekers over the age of 50 with free, customized career counseling, occupational skills training, and supportive services to help them reenter the workforce.
Simmons said before the pandemic hit, “unemployment was about 3.9%,” and the county has a goal to get back that low level.