Orange County job fair brings 100 employers to Middletown mall

The annual Spring Job Fair will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1 Galleria Drive. County officials say the event will feature opportunities from entry-level work to professional and highly skilled jobs, with participating employers also spanning education, childcare and youth services, public safety and law enforcement, government and public-sector roles, warehousing and skilled trades, retail and customer service, finance and business services, and military, federal and specialized career paths.

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus announced the fair on May 1 and said it is meant to help residents “build strong futures or re-enter the job market.” ETA Director Steve Knob called it “one of the best opportunities of the year for job seekers to meet employers and take the next step forward.” The county said its Employment and Training Administration will also provide free resume and interview preparation services, a detail that matters for workers who may be weighing a job change after years in the same field.

The timing comes as Orange County continues to post a moderate unemployment rate. County unemployment stood at 4.5% in February 2026, up 0.1 percentage point from February 2025, and ranked 50th out of 62 New York counties from highest to lowest, according to USAFacts figures based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Orange County’s civilian labor force was 188,338 in 2024, showing the scale of the workforce the county is trying to keep connected to local employers.

That mix of employers suggests the fair is designed to do more than help first-time job seekers. It appears aimed at workers looking to move into better-paying roles, shift industries or stay close to home in Middletown, Goshen, Newburgh and nearby towns. The Galleria’s location in the county’s commercial center should help draw both employers and applicants who want a convenient, high-traffic setting rather than a formal government office.