PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Hundreds of job seekers perused job offerings Thursday from more than 45 local businesses.

The annual job fair at the Berkshire Hills Country Club, sponsored by the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, is considered a huge success after the near-future's workforce filled the ballroom all day.

While the troubled economy has lowered hiring rates in the county in recently, this year was different. Employers filled the available spots quicker than ever before, according to Christine Hoyt, director of programs and events at the chamber.

By noon more than 200 people browsed a range of company booths – ranging from manufacturing to health care to banking – for jobs running the whole gambit of levels.

Companies included General Dynamics, which is planning to add 200 jobs this year, LTI Smartglass and Interprint, Onyx Specialty Papers, Wave Systems and InterTech and Dunkin' Donuts as well schools, training centers and career placement organizations.

Sponsors are BerkshireJobs.com, a sister site of iBerkshires, BerkshireWorks Career Center, Interprint Inc., Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Partnerships in Employment and New England Newspapers.