150+ employers coming to Nassau County Mega Career Expo: Free event for Long Island job seekers Thursday

More than 150 employers from industries including health care, manufacturing, hospitality, government and more are scheduled to attend Nassau County’s Mega Career Expo on Thursday morning.

The event, hosted by the county Office of Minority Affairs’ Workforce Development Center and the Town of Oyster Bay’s Workforce Partnership, is open to all Long Islanders looking for employment, resume reviews and networking opportunities, according to organizers. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nassau Coliseum, located at 1255 Hempstead Tpke. in Uniondale, and is free to attend.

Seniors, veterans and those with mobility issues will be granted early access beginning at 9 a.m.

Nearly 3,000 people have registered so far, though pre-registration is not required, said Workforce Development Center director Runnie Myles.

“We want to make sure we get the most people and as many needs met at one time,” Myles said.

Job opportunities include entry-level positions like certified nursing assistants, medical billing specialists, commercial drivers and security personnel, according to event organizers.

The hiring event will feature opportunities for job seekers interested in pursuing a trade to learn more about available apprenticeship programs. Municipal agencies for Nassau County also will be available to discuss openings in government positions.

Free professional headshots also will be taken for the first 250 attendees to seek out the service at the event.

Entrepreneurs pursuing — or already certified as — a Minority- or Women-owned Business Enterprise can meet with county representatives to learn how to secure government contracts.

Slow job growth on Long Island — and low unemployment rates

The fair comes amid a national hiring slowdown.

In August, the United States added 22,000 jobs — far below the 76,500 economists had expected, according to surveys by FactSet, a financial data and analytics company.

“Job growth has been slow on Long Island for most of this year,” said Shital Patel, labor market analyst with the state Labor Department’s Hicksville office, in an email. “As with the national economy, we are in a bit of a frozen job market. Uncertainty in the economy, including the opaque nature of the tariff rollouts, has led companies to put hiring plans on hold.”

Patel added that low consumer confidence and rising costs are prompting many workers to stay put — a phenomenon known as “job hugging.”

Long Island’s unemployment rate has remained relatively low. In July, the most recent month for which data is available, the rate stood at 3.6%, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous year.