Town Hall, Job Fair To Address Jobs In Miami

MIAMI (CBS4) - As Miami's unemployment rate continues to hover in the double digits, the Congressional Black Caucus held a town hall event in Miami on Monday to address the stubbornly high unemployment rates in the black community.

The black unemployment rate rose to 16.8 percent nationwide in July, double the unemployment rate for whites.

Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver said representatives have introduced more than 40 job generating bills since January, none of which have advanced. He blamed Republican leadership for halting progress.

At the Miami meeting, which begins at 6 p.m at the Mt. Hermon AME Church on NW 25th Avenue in Miami Gardens, residents will have a chance to express their frustration, much of which is likely to be directed at Congress and the president.

U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson brought the CBC meeting to Miami.

On Tuesday, she along with Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and Commissioner Richard Dunn III will host a massive job fair will be held at the James L. Knight Center, located at 400 SE 2nd Avenue, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"From day one, my focus has been jobs, jobs, jobs," said Congresswoman Wilson in a statement. "Unemployment in South Florida is no longer a crisis, but an epidemic. It's time to take matters into our own hands and provide real opportunities for people to get back to work."

The event will feature seminars on job readiness, resume writing, interview skills and salary negotiations.

More than 110 local and national employers will be on hand to accept resumes and talk with applicants. Some of the companies represented include Home Depot, AT&T, Carnival Cruise Lines, Care Plus, Coca-Cola, Macy's Florida Marlins, University of Miami, Walmart and Wells Fargo. Organizers say applicants will be able to apply for an estimated 1933 positions.

"No one was invited or allowed to participate in this job fair if they didn't have openings and were ready to hire right now," said Wilson.

Click Here to register online or for more information or call (305) 690-5905.  Registration on the day of the event starts at 8:00am.

Wilson says if Tuesday's job fair isn't enough, she promises to hold another one.