JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The overwhelming response to several Amazon job fairs this week has prompted the company to cancel similar events scheduled for next week.
Lines stretched around the building for the second day this week as hundreds came out Wednesday to vie for positions at Amazon's Pecan Park Road fulfillment center.
It was one of several job fairs around the area this week giving residents hope of employment.
Christopher Kirby saw that hope fulfilled Wednesday with the best news he's heard in months: he'd been hired by Amazon.
“It feels good,” Kirby said. “I'm going to call my cousin and my uncle and let them know the good news.”
But Kathleen Kerry left disappointed. The job she wanted isn't offered right now.
“It's just so hard,” Kerry said. “I mean, I have been out of work before, but this has been since February. And this has been the hardest time.”
But she said she hasn't given up hope and will return.
There are nearly 3,000 jobs available in the River City for those willing to work. Amazon is looking to fill 1,500 jobs for Jacksonville's new fulfillment centers.
An Amazon spokesperson told News4Jax that “the candidate talent in Jacksonville has been wonderful and we are tracking to fill our need between the on-the-spot job offers and online applications.”
Amazon will have one more job fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at The Legends Center on Soutel Drive. To apply for positions online or to learn more about on-the-spot job offers, click here.
If you have not applied online, you can stand in line to apply. If you have applied online, they will email you a confirmation. Amazon might have more hiring fairs at a later date.
Ikea, which will be opening this fall on the city's Southside, is looking to fill 250 positions. And the Jaguars held a job fair Tuesday night for 1,000 part-time positions for all 2017 home games and other events.
The Jaguars said about 1,000 people applied for those positions, which range from cooks to stadium ushers to elevator operators to merchandise assistants.
On the Southside, grocery store Earth Fare will employ 170 people.
“This creates more jobs, more opportunities for people to advance,” store manager Daniel Tauper said.