Hundreds attend job fair as Marlborough unemployment hits 15-year low

Marlborough unemployment rate falls to lowest level isince May 2001

Marlborough, MASS. October 28, 2016 – Around 250 jobseekers attended the fifth annual Marlborough Works! Job Fair at the Courtyard by Marriott in Marlborough last night. 

More than 250 job openings at 29 area companies were on offer at the free event, which was organized by the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) as part of Mayor Arthur Vigeant’s initiative to increase local employment. Hiring representatives from a number of local companies, including GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Quest Diagnostics, SanDisk a Western Digital brand, The TJX Companies, Ken’s Foods, DCU, and OYO Sports, looked to fill positions across diverse industries and job levels. 

The job fair was held just days after the latest figures from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development showed that Marlborough’s unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years. Unemployment plunged to 2.7% in September—the lowest the city has seen since May 2001. The new rate marks a 15% decline from the previous month, a 33% drop from the same time last year and a 50% decrease since September 2012. 

The Marlborough Works! initiative, which launched in June 2012, has coincided with the major improvements in the city’s job market. 

“The sharp decline in Marlborough’s unemployment rate shows that our local economy is strong and the city is well positioned for continued growth and future success,” said MEDC Executive Director Meredith Harris. “Through the efforts of Mayor Arthur Vigeant and MEDC, Marlborough has created more than 6,000 new jobs and slashed the unemployment rate by half in just four years. Our goal is to continue helping businesses create new jobs in the city and to make every effort to fill those jobs with Marlborough residents. Certainly, the Marlborough Works! initiative will continue to play a major part in these efforts.”

Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant was at the job fair greeting employers and talking to job seekers. 

“It’s a great job fair,” Mayor Arthur Vigeant said. ”We have a lot of qualified people coming through, from entry level to high level engineers, and a lot of companies in Marlborough are looking for this talent. But when you have a 2.7% unemployment rate, you get to the point where companies have to look harder for the help they need. So, hopefully, we will land a few jobs for some people tonight and keep our companies happy.” 

John Manning, who found his job as a Production Supervisor at WaterSep BioSeparations at the 2014 Marlborough Works! Job Fair, was at this year’s event as an employer. 

“A couple of years ago I was unemployed, getting ready to retire, and my wife said, why don’t you go down to the job fair and take a look at what’s available,” Manning said. “Most of the companies were not a good fit for me, but WaterSep was. They kept me from retiring, and now I’m here looking for some manufacturing people for a plant that’s growing. So, I got a job at the job fair, and now I’m here looking for more help.”

For images from the Marlborough Works! Job Fair, go to:  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0tm8epndad1ggnl/AAAeQCBH4t8tRW48RvOdLPKPa?dl=0.
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About MEDC:
The Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is the state chartered economic development corporation for the City of Marlborough, MA and represents a public-private partnership for planning. MEDC works with municipal and private investors to foster economic development, job growth and community revitalization.
For a complete overview of MEDC, visit www.MarlboroughEDC.com.