Monday, Sep. 21, was a very busy day for locals who were looking for work, as they made their way to the Casablanca Grand Ballroom.

Leanne and Paul Chandler, owners of The Lindi Corp, talk with prospects who may be interested in working with their company on Monday at the second ‘Putting Mesquite Back To Work’ Job Fair held at the Casablanca Casino Resort. Photo by Stephanie Frehner.

Leanne and Paul Chandler, owners of The Lindi Corp, talk with prospects who may be interested in working with their company on Monday at the second ‘Putting Mesquite Back To Work’ Job Fair held at the Casablanca Casino Resort. Photo by Stephanie Frehner.

According to Brandy Jenkins with Mesquite Regional Business, Inc, who organized and cosponsored the event with the Mesquite Chamber of Commerce, there were over 280 job seekers that visited with 18 potential employers and employment specialists throughout the day. 20% of those seekers were reportedly hired on the spot Monday, according to MRB Acting CEO George Gault.

Of those who attended, 234 were from Mesquite, 24 from Beaver Dam/Scenic and six from the Moapa Valley. The remaining 17 stated they were from places surrounding the Valleys and as far away as Maryland and Washington, D.C.

While the number of attendees was just over half of those who attended the first job fair in February, employers at the event told the organizers that the crowd had better experience and seemed to be more qualified than before, citing that the first fair likely drew in many who weren’t very serious about the event to begin with.

According to Jenkins, there will likely be two job fairs per year in the future, as the community continues to grow.