LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With the enhanced unemployment benefits expired amid a staffing crunch, hundreds of job seekers attended a job fair inside Louisville Slugger Field.

 Susan Saylor is a longtime daycare employee who has felt the employment impact of the ongoing pandemic.

"She wasn’t making ends meet because of the COVID-19, people pulling their children out, so she decided to close her business," Saylor said.

Saylor is hoping it will be her lucky day. She has experience in child care but hasn’t had steady work in nearly a year.

"I need the money right now, I’m hurting," explained Saylor.

With resumes in hand, the 58-year-old came to Louisville Slugger Field to attend a job fair, looking for new opportunities.

"I have a lot to offer. I mean, I graduated in 1982 and I’ve been working ever since. I’ve done a lot of different things, not just preschool teacher. I worked at Humana. I did data entry. I did cash reconciliation," said Saylor.

This veteran job seeker has applied to many jobs but has hardly received a follow-up.

"I’ve had people send me stuff like they want to setup an interview, and if I try to get back with them, there’s no phone calls. Everything is on the internet," added Saylor.

Forty employers, like Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, took advantage of the opportunity, advertising part-time and full-time job openings.

Devona Winkfield is a human resource manager at Yanfeng. She said she has noticed an increase in applications since additional federal benefits ended.

"People are wanting to get back to work and not necessarily always able to utilize the skill sets that they currently have, but they’re willing to kind of go into unchartered waters and try something new," she said.

Employers were ready to hire, and Winkfield said they made 21 job offers during the 4-hour event.

And that high demand for workers has recruiters pitching candidates with their perks. Winkfield added these events are important in opening the doors for employees.

"At our facility, we’ve chosen to put the marketing dollars into actually increasing the hourly wage which truly we believe gives us the biggest bang for the buck and gives us the competitive advantage," she said.

Although Saylor didn’t receive a job offer, she is optimistic and thankful for the face-to-face connection.

"I’m a very fast learner, and I’m willing to try anything. I mean, just teach me or show me," explained Saylor.

Those who attended today’s career fair will still undergo the traditional process for job applicants, with background checks following on-site interviews.