News pundits are announcing “the recession is over,” but if you live in North Carolina, you might not be too sure of that. North Carolina has a 9.7 percent unemployment rate, and while latest figures for Cumberland County show a drop in unemploy-ment, the rate is still at 9 percent. But don’t despair. Employers are hiring, and here’s a great way for you to get in touch with them.

On Wednesday, Oct. 6, the Cumberland County Department of Social Ser-vices, in conjunction with other agencies, will host its annual Fall Into Work Job Fair. The fair will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Crown Expo Center located at 1960 Coliseum Dr. in Fayetteville.

There will be more than 100 employers on hand to discuss the various opportunities available in each of their prospective companies. Robert Relyea, employment coordinator for the Cumberland County Department of Social Services Work First Program, says that the opportunities available range from “entry level to professional employment.”

According to Relyea, this year’s fair will feature job-readiness workshops. The workshops will cover a variety of topics such as: interviewing skills, re-sume writing, application processes, as well as how to apply for positions on Fort Bragg. In addition, the Educational Opportunities Center, housed at Fayetteville State University, will lead a workshop that will instruct attend-ees on how to go about getting money to pay for college.

Along with the CCDSS Work First Pro-gram, the fair is presented in partnership with Cumberland County WorkForce Development Center, Fayetteville Technical Community Col-lege, City of Fayetteville Community Development Department, Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. and the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce. This year’s business sponsors are Fayetteville PWC and Hardee’s.

The employers on hand will be hiring in a variety of fi elds including: education, govern-ment, distribution, child care, food service, hospitality, healthcare, business professional and customer service

.Relyea suggests that potential applicants dress in attire appropriate for the positions they are seeking. He also urged attendees to bring along plenty of resumes, black ink pens and information needed to fill out applications such as a listof references with contact information. Relyea also reminds applicants to turn off cell phones when speaking with com-pany representatives.

The job fair is free and open to the public. For more information call 677-2222 or 677-2177.