Thousands Camp Out Ahead of Jobs Fair in Atlanta

(Newsroom America) -- Thousands of job seekers camped out overnight for a jobs fair sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus in Atlanta Friday, many in business suits and high heels, in a scene that exemplifies the dire straits many Americans find themselves in as the nation's unemployment rate remains stubbornly high.

ABC News said at least 20 people were treated for heat exhaustion as temperatures climbed in sultry Atlanta. The incredible turnout came as Georgia's labor commissioner announced the state's unemployment rate had risen.

The rate climbed from 9.9 percent in June to 10.1 percent in July; the rate for Black Americans is 15.9 percent, well above the national rate of 9.1 percent.

The event was held at the Atlanta Technical College, and the line of applicants wound all around the venue, ABC News said. It was part of the For the People Jobs Initiative, which is being sponsored by U.S. Reps. John Lewis and Hank Johnson, as well as the Congressional Black Caucus. Jobs fairs have been held in a number of urban centers hardest hit by unemployment.

Officials said traffic in and around the venue crippled southwest Atlanta because of the high number of job seekers who attended.

Georgia's labor commissioner, Mark Butler, blamed his state's higher-than-average unemployment on Washington.

"I believe the recent lack of leadership in Washington is a contributing factor to the overall lack of confidence in the economy," he said, according to ABC News. "Due to this lack of confidence, we are seeing a business community that is hesitant to make further investments in this economy."

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