At least 244 applicants were hired on the spot during the conduct of a job fair in time for the 121st Labor Day celebration here Monday.

The Department of Labor and Employment in the Caraga Region (DOLE-13) said those immediately hired formed part of the 1,011 registered jobseekers who joined the fair.

“The construction, mining, and wholesale and retail industries posted the highest number of new hires during the job fair,” the DOLE-13 said in a statement Tuesday.

At least 3,073 job vacancies were offered by some 50 employers during the activity.

Among the lucky jobseekers during the activity was Jocelyn Sa-agundo, a single working mother from this city, who was hired as a production worker by the Kaamulan Multi-purpose Cooperative.

“I heard the news about this job fair through the radio. I am thankful that an employer hired me after I applied,” Sa-agundo said in the same DOLE-13 statement.

Aside from the job fair, a Kadiwa ng Pangulo display was also conducted during the event, participated by 12 farmer’s cooperatives from the different areas in Butuan City and Agusan del Norte.

Moreover, the DOLE-13 facilitated a simultaneous program for the release of over PHP16.7 million worth of livelihood grants to 1,041 associations and different local government units in the region.

Payout activities were also conducted for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program, with some PHP39.9 million payment released to 9,542 beneficiaries across the region. (PNA)