A summer job fair in 2008 included about 20 employers. One planned for later that year was canceled. This year, Tim Evans said the event is at capacity with 40 employers.

"The timing is just right, as you can see with the participation we've got from the companies and the hiring that's taking place," said Evans, the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce vice president for economic development.

The fair, planned for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Georgia Mountains Center, includes employers ranging from food processing to health care to manufacturing. And they are companies ready to hire.

The job fair is a collaborative effort of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, Lanier Technical College, The Times, King's Hawaiian and Gainesville Area Employer Committee.

"We did a quick tally just to estimate and it's in the hundreds and maybe even a thousand jobs that are represented by these employers," Evans said.

That's likely good news for the 8 percent unemployed in the metro Gainesville area and 8.5 percent in the Georgia mountains region. Those numbers compare to a 9.8 percent unemployment rate for the state.

It also signifies good news for the chamber.

"We're seeing a little bit different picture than a lot of other places. We're certainly blessed in that regard," Evans said. "... we are definitely seeing signs of a recovery and expansion of not just manufacturing jobs but we've also seen an expansion of service jobs and the health care sector — so those are all important areas of our economy."

For those looking to snag those jobs, Evans advised bringing resumes but also being prepared to talk to employers directly.

"The purpose of having the job fair is not simply to collect resumes or collect job applications but to see potential employees face to face," he said. "And that's what these employers are doing, that's why they're participating in the job fair. They want to see and hear from people who would be their employees and colleagues."