SARASOTA — Dozens of veterans filled a conference room inside the Jobs Etc. here on Friday morning.
In the lobby downstairs, a line of another 15 veterans waited to make their way into the first local job fair in quite a while.
“It’s overwhelming, the turnout we’ve seen,” said Sue Tintor a recruiter for Comcast Cable. “It just goes to show how many people are out of work.”
The Suncoast Workforce Board hosted the veterans job fair on Friday, and an estimated 356 job-seekers attended. The fair was also open to the public, but the first two hours of the event were reserved for veterans.
U.S. Army Thomas Radcliffe was among one of the early risers for the job fair, which ran from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
“I’ve been coming to Jobs Etc. for the past two years looking for work, to no avail,” Radcliffe said.
The 59-year-old Army vet who served in Vietnam is looking for work for the first time in 15 years. His previous job as a painter was eliminated as a result of the downfall in real estate and construction.
“Due to the economy, there’s no construction going on,” Radcliffe said. “I’ve called every painter in the phone book trying to find work with no luck. It’s been rough just living on my wife’s paycheck.”
Twelve employers were on hand at the job fair. Businesses included Wal-Mart, Sun Trust, Liberty Tax Service and Aerotek.
The last time the Suncoast Workforce Board hosted a veterans job fair was November 2007. And the last major job fair in Manatee and Sarasota counties was hosted by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce in October 2008.
Getting employer participation for Friday’s job fair was a challenge, said Sally Hill, spokeswoman for the Suncoast Workforce Board.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve hosted a job fair of this magnitude at Jobs Etc.,” Hill said. “Employers that were reluctant to attend had not participated in hiring events recently.”
Manatee County has a 12.7 percent unemployment rate representing 18,132 people who are out of work. Sarasota County has a 12.3 percent unemployment rate accounting for 20,277 who are jobless.
With those numbers, Phil Phillips knows he is up against tough odds as he looks for work.
“It’s been rough, real rough,” said Phillips, who served in the U.S. Army from 1972-78. “But I’ve still gotta keep my chin up.”
After working at Shrum Steel Inc. for about 15 years, Phillips was laid off from his position as a crane operator.
“It hit me off-guard,” Phillips said. “But there’s nothing I can do about it except try to find work again.”
Employers such as Liberty Tax Service participated in the job fair to gear up for its busy season.
Bill Renn, a franchisee for Liberty Tax Service, said he expects to hire nearly 30 people among three branches in Bradenton and Sarasota.
“We’ve had training going on since September with tax season coming up,” Renn said. “We’re looking for more qualified individuals to come in for our upcoming training sessions.”
Representatives from Wal-Mart participated in the job fair to issue applications for seasonal employment. Wal-Mart will hire cashiers, department sales associates and management positions to gear up for holiday sales.
“This event is a win-win for us and the job seekers with us going into the holiday season,” said Christina Brosky, a marketing official for Wal-Mart.
Email Story
Printer Friendly 
Quick Job Search
@Nyx.replyAnswerText@