Job Fairs Draw Large Crowds

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Big crowds showed up at two job fairs Thursday night thanks in part to Tennessee's unemployment rate, which tops the national average at 9 percent.

Greer Stadium was getting closer to opening day as a record number of potential part-time workers filled the stadium's restaurant.

The crack of the bat could lead to some extra money in the pockets of people who could really use the paycheck.

"You name it, we pretty much have a bunch of positions here and a lot of folks interested in them," said Doug Scopel with the Nashville Sounds.

All the job seekers hope to work the 72 home games that the Nashville Sounds will play this season.

This is the latest stop on the job search for 15-year-old Gordon Peppers.

"Most places, when I try to get one, they can't because older people need the job more than me," said Gordon Peppers

Peppers hoped he could be one of the many chosen to walk the stands of Greer Stadium.

"I think I got a good chance, but it's going to be tough," said Peppers.

Both the Sounds and their concession company are looking to fill about a hundred jobs for this coming season.

The game day staff will work about five hours and mostly at night. The Sounds are having another job fair on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the ballpark.

Large crowds were also at the International Career Expo where organizers had a different approach for putting people to work. Nearly 40 companies came out to talk about what they had to offer.

"Whether you're looking for a job, or looking for a business opportunity and as you can see, the employers are pretty diverse, not just in ethnicity, but in different job opportunities we have," said Jonathan Camcam with the Festival of Nations.

Another job fair to note, Nashville Shores will be hosting a fair Friday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.