An upbeat hiring climate is projected for London, based on details from a survey by Manpower Canada.
That's music to the ears of the unemployed like Steve Hewitt.
Hewitt has been out of work for about a year and is looking for a job in home health care.
"I have already made some good contacts and there are some companies here I haven't heard of before. So yeah, I am going to go home and apply right away," says Hewitt.
He is one of over 200 job seekers who came out to a health care job fair being held by Goodwill Industries on Tuesday.
"We have around 14 employers and between 75 to 100 job openings many of which are all above minimum-wage postions," says Andrew McMurray of Goodwill Industries.
Positions such as personal support workers at VON's London branch, which is in need of several new staff members.
"Currently we are in a position where a number of our children have come off wait lists for services. So we have a number of families looking for support workers at this time," says Sarah Howe of the VON.
With close to 20,000 Londoners still in need of full-time work, job fairs help.
But there's more good news. A survey just released by Manpower Canada shows that 20 per cent of employers in the city plan to hire this spring.
The survey also shows that around 77 per cent of London employers will not be downsizing in staff.
All positive news for the city according to the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC).
"We're certainly experiencing better economic conditions in London at the moment. Over the last several years we've noticed a long-term trend of declining unemployment rates," says Kapil Lakhotia of the LEDC.
And for those looking for jobs such as Hewitt, word that there is a positive hiring outlook for the spring, is good news.
"The fact that the job market here is turning around is a nice sign. It's a great city and I hope that it turns around the way that it should," he says.
