Missoula career fair aims to connect local workers with jobs

MISSOULA, Mont. — A career fair in Missoula is set to bring local employers and job seekers together as officials work to match workers with openings in the area.

Montana’s unemployment rate held at 3.6%, while Missoula County’s rate sat slightly higher at 3.9%.

State leaders said that even with those relatively low numbers, helping people find the right jobs remained a key challenge.

The Western Montana Career Fair was scheduled for tomorrow in Missoula. The event was hosted by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry and featured a range of local employers looking to hire.

Mike Hopkins with Missoula Job Service said the event was designed to help people make those connections.

“Sometimes it's difficult, depending on who you are, where you are, what you have access to, to get in touch with employers, especially employers that are in industries that you care about, that you're interested in, that you might very well have skills that are very applicable to,” said Hopkins.

The fair was set for the Hilton Garden Inn on Reserve Street. Veterans were allowed in early at 2:30 p.m., and doors opened to the public at 3:00 p.m. The event ran until 6:00 p.m.

Hopkins said Missoula had both employers looking for strong candidates and workers looking for solid opportunities.

“It's always been a great event. I mean, the truth is we have a lot of employers in Missoula that are looking for quality talent, and we've got a lot of talented workers in Missoula that are looking for quality jobs. So really, our job here is to just get the two of them together and things usually work out really well,” said Hopkins.

People who could not attend could still get help through Job Service Montana, which offered resume assistance, interview preparation and job search support through its offices and online.