Upward of 80 employers had tables at Wednesday's job fair.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — BerkshireWorks is seeing plenty of new employers join the annual job fair looking to hire. That is a signal to the organization that the economy is improving.

 

Amy Demarest, a business services representative with the state's training and employment agency, said Wednesday's job fair had 80 employers, the most in recent years, for some 400 prospective employees to meet.

 

"I think the numbers have increased steadily over the last few years. I think that it is a sign that the recession is receding and companies are hiring," Demarest said. 

 

According to the Department of Labor and Workforce, Pittsfield had an average unemployment rate of 7 percent in 2014. In January, that number was at 6.6 percent and by April had decreased to 5.2 percent. Just this August, the city has a 4.9 percent unemployment rate. However, those numbers are not seasonally adjusted.

 

Statewide, from August 2014 until August 2015, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped from 5.6 percent to 4.7 percent, which is below the national trend.

 

Nearly all industry sectors had decreased, signaling more companies are hiring.

 

"We have almost 80 employers on hand today from manufacturing, education, health care, and retail. We're kind of hitting the major groups in the area," Demarest said. "The feedback across the board from the employers today has been positive. They are talking to good people and getting good applicants."

 

Two years ago, 68 employers had tables at the annual job fair and last year about another 10 joined, the highest the organization has ever had. The 80 or so employers on Monday set yet another high for the organization. Attendance from both job seekers and employers has grown. 

 

Anecdotally, employers who have been through a number of fairs have said over the years the ratio of job seekers to available jobs has been closing, meaning the availability of jobs has been increasing. BerkshireJobs.com, iBerkshires' job posting site, has more than 260 jobs — more than double this time last year — and some 900 registered employers.

 

Demarest said not only are there more employers but many seem to have more jobs to offer. They range from positions for youth just entering the work force to those requiring an advanced degree.

 

"We've seen a very steady flow of traffic today despite the rain. It definitely looks like a very professional crowd. People seem well prepared," Demarest said.

 

BerkshireWorks Career Center has been holding the job fair for a number of years at the Crowne Plaza. The state-funded organization is one of 32 aimed to connect job seekers with employers. This year, the organization's youth programming was on hand to help those looking to find their first job.