Thousands of job seekers apply for new Longo’s in Kitchener; only 100 positions available  – NOW Toronto

A grocery store opening later this year in Kitchener is going viral for its massive job fair line up, but Ontarians say it’s just another blatant indicator of labour shortages across the province. 

Canadian grocery chain Longo’s hosted three job fairs earlier this week, one being virtual on Tuesday, followed by two in-person hiring events on Wednesday and Thursday at the Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre in Kitchener.

According to Longo’s, the combined events totalled to over 2,500 job applicants. 

“We are thrilled with the incredible turnout and enthusiasm for the new Longo’s Kitchener location,” store manager Brad Boin told Now Toronto in an email statement on Thursday. 

“We look forward to becoming a part of the Kitchener community and serving our Guests soon,” he added. 

Although thousands of job-seekers showed up, the store only plans to hire about 100 team members, Boin said. 

The store, still currently under construction at the corner of Fischer-Hallman and Huron roads, will be the first Longo’s location in the city and Waterloo Region. It plans to open its doors in November. 

A photo of the lengthy Longo’s line up has been circulating on social media, with many commenting on the enormous turnout. However, some online users are describing the sight as “unsurprising,” as it echoes the current ongoing job crisis that many Ontarians are facing. 

“Why am I not surprised?” a user on Reddit said. 

“Great Depression era sh*t,” one user replied to the photo on X. 

“At this point, how do you even decide who gets the jobs?” another user questioned. 

One Reddit user claimed they witnessed the crowd in person after visiting the community centre’s library. Upon leaving about an hour later, they said the line reportedly “barely moved.”

“I feel so sad thinking this would be a future job hunting for my kids,” the Reddit user wrote.

Another Reddit user who reportedly lives in the south Kitchener area said their son was excited to head to the job fair in hopes of landing his first job. But after viewing the hoards of applicants, the family changed their mind. 

“Saw the line before sunrise and said absolutely not,” the user said. 

In February, a job fair at Toronto Pearson International Airport had to cut off their line up early, after receiving thousands of applicants with only 700 spots to fill. 

One month later, an LCBO job fair in London also drew a big crowd, where video footage showed job seekers pushing against each other to hand in their applications.

In Canada, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.4 per cent in July, compared to June, and up slightly by 0.9 percentage points year-over year, according to Statistics Canada. In addition, the unemployment rate of recent immigrants (who had landed in Canada within the past five years) increased 3.1 percentage points to 12.6 per cent.