Gap, Ulta and Amazon hiring at southwest Fresno job fair

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno job market is improving.

At Scelzi Enterprises, employees create custom work truck bodies at its Fresno facility.

"Right now the challenge is getting them. We are always hiring. We don't seem to have enough people to fill our open positions," said Erica Rodriguez, Scelzi Enterprises HR manager.

Scelzi needs general laborers, welders and more.

Entry-level jobs start at $13 and go up.

Mayor Lee Brand says the job market has changed dramatically with existing companies growing and new businesses coming in.

Unemployment in Fresno is at 6.1 percent and the hourly pay is around $16 an hour.

Brand says the recent growth of e-commerce business has helped people earn above minimum wage and earn a living.

"Two people working at Ulta at $3,500 a month could qualify to buy a medium-priced home in Fresno. Those kinds of wages wouldn't cut it in Northern or Southern California, but they work in Fresno," said Mayor Brand.

His goal is to diversify the economy and add jobs.

Thursday night, employers like Scelzi will be at a job fair.

Amazon and Ulta will be hiring hundreds.

"Getting your foot in the door We are coming up on the holiday and so they are ramping up their hiring and a lot of that will be temporary but there will be an opportunity maybe to get a full-time job with one of those companies. So the Gap, Ulta, Amazon are going to be doing a lot of hiring," said Fresno Economic Develop Analyst Kelly Trevino.

Many of these jobs start above minimum wage and go up depending on experience.

For Scelzi, they say more skilled workers would help them expand their business, which ships out trucks around the country.

The job fair is tonight at Orange Center School from 6-8 p.m. People are urged to bring resumes, dress professional and they say childcare is not provided.