ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Landing a job right now isn\u2019t as easy as it sounds. Across Central Florida, hundreds of people are showing up with r\u00e9sum\u00e9s in hand, competing for the same opportunities\u2014and for many, the search is taking longer than ever. <\/p>\n
James Statz moved to Florida to be with his fianc\u00e9 after being unemployed in New Jersey for a year. He says the job market is much tougher now than when he graduated back in 2021. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was in a certain field and I was doing well, but now that field is gone. What I used to do with database work is now gone because of AI taking over or outsourcing to other countries for cheaper labor,\u201d said Statz, who\u2019s looking for a job.<\/p>\n
The U.S. lost about 92,000 jobs in February, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Experts point to a mix of many factors\u2014companies hitting pause on hiring, and yes, the growing impact of AI. \u201cIt\u2019s not only because people are losing jobs\u2014it\u2019s also because people are looking for the same positions. Everybody wants to work comfortably. Everybody wants to get paid a lot,\u201d Statz said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a lot of jobs have just held back from hiring\u2014whether it\u2019s budgeting issues\u2014and they\u2019re just not seeing progress in their companies,\u201d said Amarilias Zurita, who\u2019s also looking for a job.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, thousands like Zurita\u2014who is unemployed right now\u2014came to the Central Florida Job Fair at the Central Florida Fairgrounds Expo Buildings to meet with more than 70 companies, hoping to get a job. \u201cHopefully we can get something out of it. Even if you\u2019re not interested in a position they have available, they\u2019re able to tell you maybe something will come up,\u201d Zurita said.<\/p>\n
The latest report also says unemployment ticked up slightly, to around 4.4%.<\/p>\n
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