SAN ANTONIO – The Ready, Set, Work! Job Fair was held Wednesday morning at the East Houston Career Center located at 4535 E. Houston St.
More than 30 employers, including the City of San Antonio, Coca-Cola and Time Warner had tables at the event.
"Seeing people from the Eastside, there's definitely a lot of great possibilities and opportunities that we can find," said Luis Chabrand as he interviewed applicants, hiring some on the spot, to work at the city recycling plant.
The plant is located in the neighborhood. Chabrand says half his workforce lives nearby.
Dressed to impress and resumes in hand, more than 250 expected job seekers greeted potential employers.
Unemployment is 7 percent higher on this side of town compared to all of San Antonio; 32 percent of area residents live below the poverty line.
The numbers are improving, but those behind the city event say recruiters still need pointing in the right direction.
"People are people, no matter where you come from, and these folks deserve the same opportunity as anyone else in the city, and bringing these employers to the Eastside helps them see that there are possibilities outside of, around the corner," said Willi Martinez with Workforce Solutions Alamo.
90 percent of the positions were full time and employers hired on the spot.
Lovelace Kid says he is looking for a stable job after a decade of part-time work. He's always lived on the Eastside.
He says people here are eager. "If they did this every week, it would be like this I bet," said Kid.