Meanwhile, the state reported some encouraging unemployment numbers.

Thousands of Central Virginia job seekers sought employment through a Charlottesville-sponsored job fair Wednesday even as state officials released August unemployment rates that showed regional employment up and unemployment down.

More than 75 businesses set up shop at the John Paul Jones Arena for the daylong job fair organized by city officials and backed by employers from NIITEK to The Daily Progress.

“This is the most number of employers we’ve had at one of these events and most of them are hiring, so that’s a good sign,” said Hollie Lee, economic development specialist with Charlottesville. “This gives people a chance to meet with employers face-to-face.”

According to Virginia Employment Commission statistics released Wednesday, the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area had a 6 percent unemployment rate in August, down from July’s 6.2 percent but higher than the 5.9 percent rate of August 2009.

Both Albemarle County and Charlottesville saw decreases in unemployment rates in August, with the county rate dropping to 5.4 percent from July’s 5.6 percent and the city rate falling to 7.5 percent from July’s 7.7 percent.

August 2010 rates were higher than the August 2009 in both jurisdictions, however, with the county’s 2009 rate at 5.3 percent and the city’s 2009 rate at 7.3 percent.

Lee said more than 60 percent of the fair attendees were from Charlottesville or Albemarle but the other 40 percent were from across the region and beyond. She noted people had traveled from Lynchburg, Richmond and even Northern Virginia to talk to employers.

“We’ve had a lot from Greene and Madison and Orange and Nelson and the area counties, but a lot of people have come in to talk with representatives,” she said. “We also worked with [Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Alexandria,] and were able to get representatives from federal government agencies here.”

Lee said attendees pre-registered for the event and were advised to come prepared as though for a job interview.

“We wanted people to come in with their resumes and dressed for interviews because they have a chance to talk with people who are hiring,” she said. “It can be really discouraging for people who have been unemployed for six months to fill out applications online and never actually get to meet with someone from a company. This gives them a chance to do that.”

For Charlottesville’s Jay Crawford, that chance earned him two scheduled interviews.

“This has been great. I was laid off more than a year ago and I’ve been actively looking on the Internet, in the newspaper, on Craigslist and anywhere I can, but so far no luck,” said Crawford, who was laid off in July 2009 from his job as communications director with the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce. “I came [to the job fair] today and got to meet with people and have made two appointments for interviews later this week. It’s been very successful.”

Crawford said it was nice to get to meet potential employers face-to-face. After being laid off and receiving 26 weeks of unemployment — the state denied him extended benefits — he has earned money as a soccer referee and a business consultant. He’s spent most of his time, however, seeking full-time employment.

“You get up, you get started at the computer and check all of the employment sites and Craigslist and you contact anyone you an get a hold of,” Crawford said. “It’s a different process than when I graduated from college because companies do a lot more online. It’s cold. It’s impersonal. It’s very difficult when you fill out an application online to find the name of a human relations person to make sure that someone actually saw your application or resume. It’s not done on a face-to-face, handshake-to-handshake way anymore.”

According to state figures, August was successful for many job seekers as more people were employed and fewer unemployed across the region.

Only Louisa and Orange counties saw unemployment rates increase, both by one-tenth of a percentage point. Orange County saw an increase in the number of people unemployed between July and August, from 1,215 to 1,225. The county also saw a month-to-month decrease in the number employed, from July’s 14,499 with jobs to August’s 14,451.

Louisa County’s number of unemployed remained the same from July to August at 1,323, while the number of people with jobs dropped from July’s 15,571 to 15,510 in August.

Both Charlottesville and Albemarle County saw increases in the number of people who have jobs from July to August and a decrease in the number of unemployed in the same time period.

“Being unemployed is a frustrating experience,” Crawford said. “Until you find a job, you do whatever you can to pay the bills.”