The numbers of job seekers who attend job fairs can provide an insight into the current job search experience of people looking for work. Job fair attendance changes over time can give a glimpse of larger labor market trends. The Labor Market Information Office at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reports that the number of job vacancies declined by 13.4% from 2023 to 2024, and real time postings from MinnesotaWorks.net have shown a continued slow down in 2025. In July 2025, the ratio of unemployed jobseekers per vacancy climbed to 0.7-to-1, which means there were still more open jobs than available workers, but the gap between the two was narrowing steadily. In 2021 and 2022, there were more than 2 jobs available for every unemployed worker. In addition, a recent survey of more than 300 job counselors in the CareerForce system revealed that most of them say job seekers are having a harder time finding work now compared to a year ago, especially in certain fields.
Job Fair attendance is up at many CareerForce locations in recent months, with a record number of job seekers turning out at an event at the CareerForce in North Minneapolis this fall. In late September, more than 400 job seekers turned out to meet with 40 employers at the 5th Annual Job and Resource Fair at the CareerForce location at 800 West Broadway.
Below is a quick look at job fair attendance and related information from a few CareerForce locations that regularly host hiring events.
CareerForce in Blaine
Hosted by Leading CareerForce Partner Anoka County Job Training Center, the 26 hiring events held so far in 2025 have averaged 119 job seekers per event. That’s up from 90 average job seekers per hiring event in 2024.
“We’re honored to provide employer and job seeker connections, many times resulting in on the spot interviews,” said Nicole Swanson, Director, Anoka County Job Training Center. “The public knows us as a trusted agency and the JTC team provide great service. Maria Lourey-Bowen has outstanding relationships with the business community who welcome the opportunity to attend our hiring events because they know the public will show up.”
Among the emerging trends Anoka County leaders have noticed this year:
Job seekers:
- Increase in youth and 55+ job seekers
- More individuals seeking second jobs or returning to work post-retirement
- More higher skilled laid-off workers
- Decline in ELL and Spanish-speaking attendees
Employers:
- Ongoing hiring freezes and staff shortages
- AI adoption replacing early-stage hiring roles
- Manufacturing and health care employers are less engaged due to economic pressures and staffing needs
- Decline in employer responsiveness and event participation since March 2024
- More selective hiring practices and fewer job openings
CareerForce in Duluth
Leading CareerForce Partner Duluth Workforce Development hosts a regular Hiring Now! Job Fair the first Wednesday of every month. Duluth reports there was a significant bump in overall attendance from 2023 to 2024, and there appears to be a more modest increase in attendance shaping up for 2025 over 2024’s attendance numbers. The two-year trend: an average of 24.7 job seekers per job fair in 2023 and in 2025 that average is 36.9 job seekers per job fair.
CareerForce in Minneapolis – North
In addition to the large annual job and resource fair held each September, the CareerForce location at 800 West Broadway in Minneapolis hosts job fairs the second Wednesday and fourth Thursday of every month, barring holidays. Job seeker attendance has held stable at these events throughout 2025, with most job fairs drawing between 25 and 30 job seekers to meet with an average of five employers.
CareerForce in Rochester
Staff at Leading CareerForce Partner Workforce Development Inc. (WDI), which serves southeastern Minnesota, say that job seeker attendance at events (both for adults and youth) has increased compared to last year. Leading CareerForce Partner Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) staff, who partner with WDI and JobsHQ in organizing and promoting job fairs in the area, provided these job seeker attendance estimates for the Rochester Area Job Fair, which is typically held twice a year:
- November 2024 – 120 attendees
- April 2025 – 220 attendees
- November 2025 – 250 attendees
CareerForce in St. Paul
Leading CareerForce Partner Ramsey County Workforce Solutions has a newly relocated location in downtown St. Paul, so they can't compare attendance at hiring events in that space to last year's events. However, Ramsey County Workforce Solutions shares that they have roughly the same number of job seekers turn out in 2025 as did in 2024 for Employer of the Day events at the Roseville branch of the Ramsey County Public Library. And they had record turnout at their annual Midway Area Job Fair. Nearly 700 job seekers turned out for that event at Allianz Field in June of this year compared to about 400 job seekers in 2024.
CareerForce in West St. Paul
Leading CareerForce Partner Dakota County reports an average of 11.68 employers and 46.36 job seekers at 2025 job fairs (so far) compared to an average 18.69 employers to 38.52 job seekers in 2024. More job seekers and fewer employers could indicate a more challenging environment for job seekers. Mykey Tyler-Thull, who organizes the West St. Paul CareerForce hiring events, reinforced that he has seen this trend: “I can say the employer participation has significantly declined."
CareerForce in St. Cloud and other Central Minnesota communities
Staff from Leading CareerForce Partner DEED say job seeker job fair attendance is about the same this year as it was last year at hiring events in St. Cloud, Monticello, Cambridge and Mora.
Other job fairs hosted by/co-hosted by Leading CareerForce Partners
The Fargo Moorhead Fall Job Fair organized by Job Service North Dakota and JobsHQ in mid-October drew a crowd much larger than expected: 300 job seekers attended the event in Fargo, to meet with 40 employers with a variety of open positions. That is twice as many job seekers who attended the Fargo Moorhead job fair the previous year. Leading CareerForce Partner Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program (RMCEP) participated in the event. When I asked if he and the team were surprised at the numbers Bill Burnside from Leading CareerForce Partner RMCEP said “Yes, we were very surprised!”
A representative from Jobs HQ, which co-hosts many job fairs throughout the state in coordination with Leading CareerForce partners, says job seeker numbers are generally up across the board from 2024 to 2025.
