Hundreds of Atlantans lined up at the Georgia World Congress Center on Thursday as Showcase Atlanta opened a two-day Workforce Expo, offering residents a shot at both seasonal and longer-term jobs. With a recent wave of corporate cuts rattling workers across industries, the stakes felt high. For many attendees, face-to-face time with recruiters beat firing off another online application into the digital void.
According to Showcase Atlanta, the expo runs March 5–6 in the Thomas Murphy Ballroom at the Georgia World Congress Center and features employers in hospitality, transportation, retail and event operations. Organizers say job seekers can tap on-site resume help, connect with training partners and meet hiring managers in person. CBS Atlanta also noted the event includes LinkedIn consultations and professional headshots to help polish candidates’ online profiles.
Layoff Wave Puts Pressure on Hiring
Nationally, employers announced 108,435 planned job cuts in January, the highest January total since 2009, according to a monthly report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Transportation, technology and health care saw the largest announced reductions as companies pointed to contract losses, restructuring and automation. In that climate, an old-school hiring fair still has pull even with online job boards flooding inboxes.
On the expo floor, those statistics come with names and backstories. Kaerria Trimble, a former insurance adjuster, told CBS Atlanta she applies for several jobs every day and often gets only automated replies. “I'm excited about the job expo because I can meet with actual people in person,” she said. Others at the event shared that in-person conversations feel like the only way to break through layers of algorithms and AI-generated responses.
City Pushes Training and Small-Business Support
The expo is part of a broader Showcase Atlanta initiative that City Hall and local partners rolled out to help businesses and workers prepare for upcoming global events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the Atlanta Daily World. The wider effort includes business-readiness grants, workforce workshops and pop-up opportunities designed to steer more event-related spending toward neighborhood businesses. City officials and partners say the goal is to turn major events into lasting hiring and vendor relationships, not just short-lived surges.
Organizers urged job seekers to bring multiple résumés and use the expo’s on-site resume reviews and training referrals. Eventbrite lists free admission for job seekers, and organizers say they hope the two-day rush of conversations translates into real offers across Metro Atlanta.
