The eighth annual Central Valley Jobs Fair hosted by Congressman Jeff Denham was staged on Thursday, Aug. 2 at Modesto Junior College with more than 60 hiring employers and over 250 Central Valley job seekers in attendance.

“My jobs fair has connected thousands of (California District) 10 residents to jobs in our community and this year was especially successful,” said Rep. Denham. “Valley businesses are hiring, the unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in 16 years, and the economy is growing at the highest rate in 13 years, thanks to lower taxes and less regulations.”

Since 2011, the first year Denham was in office, the employment rate in California’s 10th District has gone from over 17 percent to under seven percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Modesto, this number is even lower, hovering around 5.1 percent. Veterans, too, are seeing unemployment rates decrease, with Stanislaus County veterans at just 3.7 percent unemployment. In the second quarter, Gross Domestic Product grew at 4.1 percent, putting the economy on pace to grow at 3 percent for the calendar year for the first time in 13 years.

The fair connects job seekers with employers, providing opportunities to apply for jobs on the spot. The event opened early for veterans, armed services members and their spouses, and included a résumé building and career coaching session lead by Defense Logistics Agency.

Participating employers in this year’s jobs fair included Amazon, The Modesto Nuts, Blue Diamond Growers, U.S. Army, Turlock Police Department, California Air National Guard, Lock N Stitch, Taylor Farms, Rank Security, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and more.