Calgary job fair forced to turn some hopefuls away

The Mustard Seed was overwhelmed with applicants at its latest job fair, even having to turn some away.

About 300 people came to the centre Monday afternoon bearing resumes, and ready to connect with recruiters.

Far more than ever before.

"Last time we had about 150 and we thought that was absolutely crazy," says Jeremiah Smith of March's turnout.

Smith, an employment manager with the centre, says just three months later it's a different story.

"This time our lineup was over a block long."

The hundreds of applicants filled the sidewalk outside the agency, which provides support to those grappling with poverty and housing issues.

The lineup spanned a couple of blocks, wrapping around the corner and through an alleyway beside the centre.

"When I first came here I was shocked. I was like 'wow,'" says Ayo Ogunlade about the long lineup.

He recently arrived from Nigeria and worries about the economy.

"It shows that the job market in Calgary, the economy, is really not healthy. This is what it shows."

The Mustard Seed holds job fairs every quarter, but Smith says this month they had fewer vendors offering positions — less than a dozen.

"The workers are many, but the jobs are few," he says.

That's making it particularly hard for newcomers.

Jennifer Lawes arrived from the Philippines five months ago and says she hasn't found work yet. She'd like a job in customer service but knows she's landed in Calgary during a recession.

"It's sad," Lawes says. "You want to help your husband, you have your needs."

Competition across all job sectors makes it especially hard for newcomers to Canada, Smith says.

"A lot of the people who've been laid off from oil and gas jobs are applying for kind of survival jobs, which often are sort of dream jobs for the people we cater to," he says. 

And now, it seems, The Mustard Seed has even more to cater to.