"[If it] wasn't for family I'd be living somewhere else," said Vernon resident Mark Stevens.

It's not easy keeping a job in an area that's always changing. Stevens used to work in a factory.

"When they do cutbacks because a lot of people aren't buying a lot of products and stuff like that, where are they going to go? The little old man on the totem pole is going out the door," Stevens said.

Stevens then became a truck driver for more than 10 years, but on Monday, found himself at a job fair in Utica called OneidaWorks!, where there were 1,000 jobs up for grabs among 50 employers from different industries.

"Check around," Stevens said. "Do my options all the way around and assess everything, and make a decision, and then go forward from there."

Although a job fair with a thousand openings is good for people who need employees, it also means companies have a lack of workers, but the Oneida County Executive is hopeful, adding that it’s a good problem to have.

"The reverse would be that employers are saying, 'We're done. We're not going to stay here'. That's not what they're saying. They're staying here. They're growing here," said Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente.

However, with more openings comes increased competition.

"It can be tough, especially when there are so many agencies that are looking for a lot of direct care workers, but at the end of the day, as long as people who need the services are getting them, it really doesn't matter what the agency is," said Resource Center for Independent Living Recruiter Nate Discavage.

As for Mark Stevens, he did find some leads he's interested in for his next job. The event also had a "career closet" where candidates could get free professional clothes that were donated.

If you couldn't make it to the job fair, visit ocgov.net.