L.A. JOB FAIR ATTRACTS 1,000 110 COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES ON HAND AT DODGER STADIUM.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Staff Writer

Looking to beat the odds of finding work in Los Angeles' tight job market, more than 1,000 job seekers turned out Saturday for the 7th annual Major League Job and Information Fair at Dodgers Stadium.

Some came prepared with resumes in hand to wow prospective employers, while others collected tips on job leads or simply exchanged handshakes with some of the 110 employers looking for a few good men and women.

``It's a very difficult economy right now,'' said Canyon Country resident Harry Reed, who works in sales.

Reed was among the many laid off during the recent economic downturn. He recently found work but hoped on Saturday to explore other opportunities in sales.

``I thought I'd come here, look around, see what fits,'' he said.

Unemployment in Los Angeles County reached 6.6 percent in January - up from 5.3 percent in January 2001, according to the California Economic Development Department.

``After 9-11, it's been really hard for people to find jobs. A lot of people lost jobs,'' said Celia Guzman, assistant manager of the Employment Development Department in Los Angeles.

She said this year was the toughest in seven years to get employers to participate in the fair, because many companies have hiring freezes.

``But we still managed to do pretty well,'' she said.

And Saturday's fair appeared to be opening up some doors for those attending.

``There are a lot more people than I thought there'd be,'' said Studio City resident Dan Gonzales, who said he was laid off in January because of the economic downturn.

Gonzales said he took a temporary job for $10 per hour working from midnight to 8 a.m. - but had to drive to Lancaster.

``Today I'm just kind of checking out who the employers are, and how I might fit into what they're offering,'' he said.

The annual job fair is hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the state Employment Development Department and various elected officials.

Law enforcement and military recruiters were on hand from agencies such as the Los Angeles Police Department, where starting salary for a high school graduate is $44,537.

Other employers had posted openings for journeyman plumbers, bus operators, personal fitness trainers, mechanics, security guards, school cafeteria helpers, truck drivers, receptionists, probation officers and parking attendants.

And of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers organization is hiring ushers, ticket takers, maintenance workers, security guards and ticket sellers with hourly wages ranging from $9.60 to $11.33 per hour.

Jessica Albornoz of Eagle Rock runs her own loan processing business at home but dropped by on Saturday, looking for part-time work.

``I'm looking for something to supplement my income,'' said Albornoz, who said she'd learned of the fair through the EDD's Glendale office. ``Everyone's been offering me full-time positions but I'm hoping to get a part-time job. I'm keeping my options open.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) Job-fair visitors Abel Moreno of San Bernardino and Lilia Belman of Whittier stop to talk with a Click2latino.com representative at the Major League Community Job and Training Fair. More than 1,000 job seekers attended the event held Saturday in Dodger Stadium.

(2) At the Dodgers table, applicants seek work as ushers, security guards, maintenance workers and ticket sellers.

(3) Hundreds wait for Dodger Stadium to open Saturday.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer