Job hunting: everyone does it eventually, and sometimes jobs are hard to find. However, individuals in Bryan County who are looking for employment opportunities are in luck. The second annual Bryan County Job Fair will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 19, at the Choctaw Casino Conference Center, located on Highway 69/75, South of Durant.

The event is sponsored by the Durant Industrial Authority, the Southern Workforce Board, Workforce Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Ginger Crawford, project specialist for the Southern Workforce Board, said, so far, 16 businesses have signed up for the job fair, but invitations were given to more than 120 businesses.

The 16 confirmed businesses are the Kiamichi Technology Center, Kwik Chek Food Stores, Oklahoma Healthcare Solutions, Staff Now, Mays Home Care, PRC, Experience Works, JC Potter’s Sausage Co., Sterling House of Durant, Big Lots Distribution Center, GAMCO, First Texoma National Bank, Indian Nation Wholesale, Heavensent Caregivers, Premier Hospitality and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Last year, about 45 businesses participated.

Crawford said businesses have no cut-off date to sign up, but space is limited to 50 booths this year. The quicker businesses register, the better chance they have of getting a booth. Also, the day of the event, businesses can claim their space on a first come, first serve basis.

Crawford said she spoke to individuals who helped plan and set up for the first job fair last year; everyone said it was a huge success and it went off without any major problems.

This year, Crawford said the committee plans to attract more businesses and potential employees by placing more flyers and signs, including publicizing the event on the big neon sign at the Choctaw Casino and hanging a large banner at Landmark Bank.

She said they also advertised differently by notifying potential employees electronically. They also made smaller flyers and placed them at movie rental stores and tanning salons, that way more people can be reached.

“Hopefully it will go off without any snags (like last year),” said Crawford, who has helped with job fairs in Ada and Pauls Valley as well. “We work hard with people in the community and provide them with what we can.”

For more information about the job fair, or to register, call Crawford at 924-5331, Roy Davis, with Workforce Oklahoma, at (877) 610-JOBS, or Kimberly Bowen, with the Durant Chamber of Commerce, at 924-4570. Registration forms can be mailed in or faxed.

Crawford encourages potential employees to attend and hopes the event will “get the unemployment rate better than it is.”