More job seekers are attending job fairs in many parts of Minnesota

The numbers of job seekers who attend job fairs can provide an insight into the current job search experience of people looking for work. Job fair attendance changes over time can give a glimpse of larger labor market trends. The Labor Market Information Office at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reports that the number of job vacancies declined by 13.4% from 2023 to 2024, and real time postings from MinnesotaWorks.net have shown a continued slow down in 2025. In July 2025, the ratio of unemployed jobseekers per vacancy climbed to 0.7-to-1, which means there were still more open jobs than available workers, but the gap between the two was narrowing steadily. In 2021 and 2022, there were more than 2 jobs available for every unemployed worker. In addition, a recent survey of more than 300 job counselors in the CareerForce system revealed that most of them say job seekers are having a harder time finding work now compared to a year ago, especially in certain fields.

Job Fair attendance is up at many CareerForce locations in recent months, with a record number of job seekers turning out at an event at the CareerForce in North Minneapolis this fall. In late September, more than 400 job seekers turned out to meet with 40 employers at the 5th Annual Job and Resource Fair at the CareerForce location at 800 West Broadway.

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