On-the spot hiring during Senator Jose Peralta’s fifth annual job fair

More than 50 job seekers were hired on the spot during a job fair sponsored by State Senator Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst), Queens Center and Woodside on the Move. A total of 45 employers conducted 2,140 interviews with candidates on site and scheduled another 1,145 interviews to be later conducted with applicants. About 1,200 job seekers participated in the job fair, which was held Thursday, July 9th, at Queens Center. In addition to the employers, several organizations provided career counseling and résumé preparation to job seekers.

Among the companies that hired on the spot were GameStop and USTA Tennis Center. Employers such as Starbucks, Santander Bank, Bath & Body Works, Fresh Direct and Sephora were among those which scheduled follow up interviews with candidates.

“Fortunately, we were able to help some people get jobs on the spot during the fair. Every new job is a paycheck for our hard-working neighbors. As the economy is slowly improving, our families need jobs to mitigate the problems they face every day to make ends meet," said Senator Jose Peralta.

The Senator added, “I am sure, based on past experiences, that more people will end up with a job as a result of follow up interviews that were scheduled at the job fair and the contacts they were able to make with employers.” Senator Peralta noted that, according to New York State Department of Labor, more than 61,000 Queens residents remained unemployed, as of this May.

“I want to thank Senator Peralta and the Queens Center Mall for organizing such a successful job fair,” said Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing), who visited the vendors with Senator Peralta. “By putting so many prospective employers in one place, they have simplified the time-consuming process of job-hunting for thousands of job-seekers. There are few issues more important than jobs and a healthy economy and I would like to wish all of the applicants here today the best of luck on their job hunt.”

"Queens Center is so very pleased to have been host, for the second year, of a very successful Job Fair sponsored by Senator Jose Peralta. It fits perfectly into our initiative to be a good corporate neighbor and with the Senator’s initiatives to support job-seekers and employers in the community,” John Scaturro, Senior Manager for Marketing for Queens Center, said. “It also provides our merchants with the opportunity to interview potential employees as they head into the busy retail season. We look forward to continuing this effective partnership with Senator Peralta and his team.”