HELP WANTED: Job fair draws dozens of companies

PHOENIX (KSAZ) -- Looking for a job? This may be one of best times in decades to find one.

In Arizona, the unemployment rate is below 5%, and some companies say they're having a hard time finding good job candidates.

On Tuesday, Maryvale Workforce Initiative held a job fair event, where dozens of companies are looking to hire people. The job fair brought over two dozen companies and tons of job seekers.

"I was recently laid off," said one jobseeker. "Our company was downsizing, and so I'm looking for employment now."

"Any job right now," said another jobseeker. "I did four months in County Jail. I'm in a rehab program right now."

Hope and positivity ran rampant at this Phoenix job fair, and there's good reason for the optimism.

"Employees really have their choice of where they want to work," said Daria Bus with Express Employment Professionals. "It's up to employers to create jobs that are going to attract and retain the right people."

"About half of the jobs here will be seasonal hiring for the holidays. A good percentage can turn into full-time positions, based on how well you do in the job to begin with," said Victor Contreras with Chicanos por la Causa.

Lindsay Nelson says finding and keeping good employees has become a challenge for companies

"It's really tough," said Nelson. "We're getting a lot of applications and interest, but finding someone whose reliable, who shows up on time, that's really all were looking for and its really tough to do that recently."

Nelson says that will translate into more incentives and benefit offers from employers.