GAINESVILLE -- It was a packed house for job seekers at the MLK Center, as hundreds of people lined up just for a chance to talk to potential employers.  In fact, the venue was so crowded at one point, the fire marshal had to keep anyone else from going in.

While the exceptionally large turnout was a bit of a hindrance for job seekers, it was a big plus for employers looking to hire. Organizers say in total, about 1,000 people showed up at the job fair, almost double their initial estimates of 400 to 500 job seekers.

While Alachua county's current unemployemnt rate of 7.6 percent is below both the state and national averages, it's still well-above the pre-recession levels, perhaps explaining today's surprisingly large turnout.