<\/p>\n
The annual Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport job fair was held on Aug. 28, 2026, at the Broward County Convention Center.<\/p>\n
CBS News Miami<\/p>\n
It has been nearly four months since Spirit Airlines shut down all operations, leaving thousands in Broward County without jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wake up every morning wishing I could get on an airplane,\u201d said Debbie Seward.<\/p>\n
This week marks four months since Seward lost her job as a flight attendant when Spirit Airlines shut down.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery tough, very tough every single day I\u2019m out trying to get a job. I\u2019m not ready to retire; I can\u2019t retire financially,\u201d Seward said.<\/p>\n
Her former colleague James Derby is also navigating the turbulent job market.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been pretty challenging. I\u2019ve attended four or five job fairs, I\u2019ve submitted many r\u00e9sum\u00e9s and haven\u2019t heard back from a lot of them. I\u2019ve heard the word ghost a lot,\u201d said Derby, a former Spirit in-flight supervisor.<\/p>\n
Seward and Derby have attended two job fairs this week.<\/p>\n
Friday, they were at the annual Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport job fair at the Broward County Convention Center.<\/p>\n
About 20 employers were looking to fill more than 300 positions.<\/p>\n
Some of those jobs are open after Temporary Protected Status ended for Haitians living in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the ending of TPS, we had over 132 people who were let go, but this was in the janitorial services and concession areas,\u201d said Broward County Commissioner Alexandra Davis.<\/p>\n
Davis said approximately 4,000 people registered for the fair, which speaks to the state of the job market.<\/p>\n
Seward says she might have to explore a new route if she can\u2019t find another opportunity to take flight.<\/p>\n
\u201cI miss it dearly every day, so I\u2019m still out here trying to get a job, hopefully in aviation because that\u2019s my passion and my love, if that doesn\u2019t work out, I\u2019ll have to look into something else,\u201d Seward said.<\/p>\n
The next FLL job fair isn\u2019t until next year, but CareerSource Broward is hosting a hospitality and tourism job fair<\/a> <\/a>hon Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon at CareerSource Broward South, 7550 Davie Road Extension.<\/p>\n