Over 500 Houstonians attend METRO job fair with transit-accessible jobs amid recession concerns

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Concerned about what could be coming, hundreds of people came out to a unique job fair on Friday.

No car? No problem for this job fair

With HISD having a professional day, single mom of three, Sincearae Irvin, gave her kids a day they may never forget. As the children talked with police and snacked on candy, Irvin tried to focus on herself while juggling being a mom.

"You know, it's just another milestone," Irvin said. "I can't leave them at home, so they have to come along with me sometimes for things."

The turning point on Friday was a job fair. Irvin was one of more than 500 people who turned out to the Harris County Pct. 4 community center.

"A new start for me for me and them," Irvin explained. "I'm looking for a place to stay and everything. I'm just trying to make things happen for them."

This event was different because it catered to people who didn't have cars. The 45 employers are located along METRO routes.

There were also apartment complexes on site to showcase housing.

"People are struggling paying for car payments, for insurance," Workforce Solution project director Lynn Spencer said. "A lot of our youth don't have driver's licenses like they used to."

Friday's event was the second time METRO has done something like this. After hundreds turned out, it's already working on the third job fair.

"We do not know because we have to do preliminary analysis on where we'd like to make that happen, but we will be having a third, and we are going to be looking throughout the system," METRO spokesperson Margaret Dunlap said.

Recession fears are driving some to seek new jobs

Some people at Friday's job fair told ABC13 how they're worried about what could be coming.

"It's tough," job seeker Glenn Green said. "It's getting tough right now."

On Friday, the April jobs report was released.

It showed U.S. employers added more than 175,000 jobs, which was better than expected. However, Texas A&M economist Jorge Barro said job outlooks show a different picture.

"Looking back at the labor market, we still see signs of strength, but if you look forward, you see the business sentiment really starts to deteriorate," Barro explained.

Experts warn that if the deterioration takes place, it could lead to a recession.

"The outward-looking consumer sentiment and jobs outlook is a lot worse than it was at the start of the year," Barro said. "For that reason, I would say that there's an increased chance of a recession over the next 12 months."

Barro said it still could change, and a recession may not happen. After all, the April jobs report did better than expected.

Steps you can take if you're worried about the economy

Experts said it's still a good idea to prepare. Barro said to think back to what you did five years ago.

"Think about the way the pandemic affected you financially and your career, and take the measures you might have taken back then, or if you didn't, now is the opportunity to do that," Barro explained.

One way to take measures is to upskill. Although summer's around the corner, many area colleges, including Houston Community College offer courses.

"We have shorter eight, six, five, and even three-week terms," HCC online college communications director Michelle Castrow said.

If you're considering education, experts say you should think about your goals, how much education you'd need, and how you'd want to learn.

"For working adults, online education makes a lot of sense," Castrow said. "You have the convenience of the flexibility of doing that learning from your computer."

This accessibility helps neighbors in uncertain times, whether it's learning a new skill or landing a job along a METRO route.

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