Long Lines Tell the Sad Story at Job Fair

Banks and other financial companies in Orange County have shed some 6,500 positions in the last two years--almost one out of every five jobs in the industry. And the cuts aren’t likely over, given the impending Wells Fargo-First Interstate merger.

So when the Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union held a job fair two Saturdays ago in Tustin to fill two dozen openings, what happened came as no surprise.

Job-fair doors were scheduled to open at 9 in the morning, but people in their suits were lined up at dawn. As a result, the credit union began interviewing at 8, and the flow of applicants kept personnel staff busy well past the closing time of 1 p.m.

“It’s certainly an indication of the job market,” said Darren Williams, senior vice president at the credit union, a financial cooperative for Orange County school employees and their families.

The credit union is one segment of the finance industry that has escaped the fallout from the wave of mergers and buyouts. Employment at the Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union has been growing at about 10% annually since 1990, Williams said. The institution has seven branches in Orange County and is gearing up to open two more in the next six months.

Williams said the credit union talked with about 300 people at the job fair, of which a third have been invited for a second interview. The openings include work as managers, supervisors, tellers and customer service representatives.

Among the applicants: several Wells Fargo and First Interstate employees.

Don Lee covers workplace issues for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7407 and at Don.Lee@latimes.com.