Hundreds of job seekers filed through the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Sacramento on Wednesday, hoping to catch the attention of employers at the annual HIREvent career fair.

For four hours Wednesday afternoon, they had the chance at the free California Job Journal event, meeting with employers and representatives from 19 Sacramento-area firms, schools and government agencies. About 750 job seekers attended the event, said organizers.

The faces were a familiar mix of the newly unemployed, long-term job seekers and young people looking to break into the market – still a difficult task in a Sacramento area where the jobless rate is 10.9 percent.

Nicholas Heiser, 28, arrived at 8:30 a.m. – nearly four hours early and the first in line. He was hoping to find an electrician job, but said he'd take anything.

"It's tough right now," said Shawna McKnight, 21, of Sacramento, who has a part-time job but is looking for a second one to supplement her income. "A lot of older, experienced people are getting swooped up."

But this year there were signs of hope – and hiring. The 19 employers at the fair were six more than last year, said organizers.

"The economy's on the upswing,' said Kathy Caricato, a Job Journal event coordinator. "You can't say it's booming, but it's better than it was."

The Art Institutes, a for-profit college chain, was hiring for 16 positions in Sacramento, mainly instructors and graphic designers.

Highway contractor C.C. Myers Inc., was "filling the applicant pipeline," said Terrence McNamara, a division manager, saying the firm wants to be ready to hire when his industry turns around.

"There's a lot of hope for our industry, that it's going to grow," McNamara said. "When things get better, we want to be prepared."

Thunder Valley Resort Casino is hiring for 26 positions, from servers to marketing and beverage directors, as the Lincoln casino readies for the warm weather months.

"There are a lot of positions available right now. We're looking for good people and we're finding some really great people," said Zoey D'Arienzo, a beverage manager at Thunder Valley Resort Casino as a crowd began to build around her table.

"What's sad is that we're seeing a lot of people who've been out of work for a long time," D'Arienzo added.

Thirty-four percent of the state's unemployed have been jobless for a year or more, according to the state Employment Development Department.

One of those at the Thunder Valley table, Susan Snider of Rocklin, has pieced together seasonal jobs since a 2008 layoff from a local call center and a rotator cuff injury the following year.

Money's scarce, but she is determined to find full-time work.

"Jobs come and go. When they change, you have to change," Snider said, clutching résumés and cover letters. "I'm not going to lose everything. I'm going to give it my best. I've got to get a job."

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