By Jeff Harrington, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
An overflow crowd of thousands of job seekers streamed through the aisles of The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg.
Behind the booths at Wednesday's job and career fair were employers like Community Health Solutions, Wilger Liaison Co. and PODS saying they were eager to hire.
Matching them up? That was the rub.
Though Tampa Bay's unemployment rate is among the highest in the state at 12.6 percent, some employers say it's still a challenge finding suitable people for open positions.
Wilger Liaison, which tests products for safety, was trying to hire four engineers and eight electrical lab technicians. But company founder and CEO Gerard M. Plank Jr. said finding the right fit hasn't been easy, and he turned to the job fair after other advertising was unsuccessful.
Laura Rice, a recruiter with Community Health Solutions ...