Hundreds come to job fair at MLK Center

Organizers, attendees say event was a huge success

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In the interest of combating local unemployment, the Long Beach Martin Luther King Center partnered with a number of neighborhood organizations, government agencies and city officials to host a job fair on Sept. 24.

Event organizers said the goal was to have representatives from a wide range of companies meet face to face with community members looking for work in a convenient, centralized location.

The national unemployment rate edged down to 5.2 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, while the rate in the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County was 4.3 percent. The City of Long Beach had 4.4 percent unemployment as of July.

Marcus Tinker, a member of the Concerned Citizens of North Park who helped coordinate the event, called it a huge success. He added that there were plans to hold another job fair at the MLK Center next spring.

State Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky, Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas, U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, the Long Beach chapter of the NAACP, Christian Light Missionary Church, Evangel Revival Community Church and the New Life Church of Christ Disciples were among the other sponsors of the event. The city promoted it, handed out fliers and donated tables. The Long Beach Police Department and public works representatives were also on hand, recruiting candidates.

Tinker said that 31 companies and as many as 300 residents took part, making it the city’s largest job fair ever. Job seekers came from Uniondale, Hempstead and Far Rockaway as well. Some of the companies have already contacted candidates to set up interviews, he said.

“There’s a lot of people that have lost their job since [Hurricane] Sandy and are still trying to find a sense of recovery, a sense of help,” MLK Center Chairman James Hodge said. “This almost reminds me of, after Sandy, how everybody came together from every level to help those in need.”

“The truth is that we’re not so far removed from a big recession and Hurricane Sandy, and there are a lot of people who are looking for employment,” Kaminsky said. “This is really important, and I think it’s going to yield very good results. I feel very positive about it.”

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