Employers looking to fill 400-plus openings at Lajas job fair

By The Star Staff

With more than 400 jobs available, dozens of employers will set up booths at Juan E. Lluch Coliseum in Lajas as part of “Work Near You,” a job fair sponsored by the Department of Labor and Human Resources (DTRH by its Spanish initials) to be held Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“We will be in Lajas through this job fair focused on more people from the south and west being able to join the workforce,” Labor Secretary Gabriel Maldonado González said in a written statement. “It is an area that is undergoing reconstruction after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria and the seismic events that have harmed commerce, education and daily life in the region. Therefore, we urge citizens to make an appointment so that they know the wide list of job opportunities that we will have.”

Job fair attendees will be able to go through the interview, selection and hiring process, and be recruited on the spot. The official urged job seekers to go prepared with their resume so that they can expand on their credentials and experience during the meeting with employers.

Data from the most recent DTRH monthly Employment and Unemployment report reflects a sustained increase in labor participation so far in 2022. As recently as May, it stood at 43.6%, while the unemployment rate for the same month stood at 6.2%, surpassing April’s record low of 6.4%.