Las Vegas Convention Center hosts massive spring job fair — PHOTOS

With a long line of job seekers looking to talk to executives from Fontainebleau hotel-casino, Denise Turman of Pahrump waited at the end of it.

She’s currently working in the produce section of an Albertsons but was looking for a new job Thursday so she can move east into Las Vegas.

“I could do cage cashier. I have experience in that,” Turman said. “Right now, at Albertsons, I make $18 an hour, so I’m trying to stay in that area. I’d rather go up higher, because I feel you got to make at least $20 to $25 an hour just to live comfortably.”

Turman was one of thousands of job seekers who flocked to the Las Vegas Convention Center on Thursday for Clark County’s largest job fair. About 130 employers with 15,000 open jobs were present at the annual Spring Job Fair in the center’s North Hall. Employers represented such industries as gaming and casinos, hospitality, food, public sector, nonprofit, education and tech, with some offering on-site interviews and job offers.

County Commissioners Jim Gibson and Tick Segerblom helped put on the event with EmployNV Business Hub.

“If you’re looking for a job or you just want to see what’s out there, this is the easiest way to find out,” Segerblom said during a news conference for the event. “There’s 120 employers, so everything from soups to nuts.”

As of March, the unemployment rate in the Las Vegas area was 5.6 percent, compared to the state’s rate of 5.7 percent, according to the Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation. Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the country.

But, according to a new study from ADP Research, people who stayed in their jobs in Nevada from April 2024 to April of this year saw a 5.3 percent increase in wages, with the state ranking No. 6 in the country for wage growth. The median salary for job-stayers in Nevada in April 2025 was $52,200, the study said.

Properties such as Fontainebleau were interviewing and hiring on the spot, looking to fill around 100 positions, according to Kim Virtuoso, chief people officer at the north Strip property. Positions were available across multiple departments on the property, with food and beverage having the most job availability.

“On average, salaries are looking at about $18 per hour, and a lot of these are culinary union positions that we are looking to hire today,” said Virtuoso.

For those who are offered a position, homemade gelato was waiting for them, made by the Fontainebleau’s culinary team.

Before the job fair, Turman said, she would typically apply for jobs on Indeed, but said response rates are “50-50.”

Many have the same issues with online job sites, such as Karina Blakely, who came to the job fair with hopes of meeting someone in-person.

Currently unemployed, Blakely waited in line to see an MGM Resorts representative for over an hour.

“I’m hoping to meet with a recruiter and actually speak to a person, because it’s difficult to get a job online with all the bots out there,” said Blakely. “When you meet a person it’s really nice, because they get a feel for you.”

Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.