Those in the hunt for a new job have a chance to network with businesses seeking employees.

Ten Rugby businesses, including the Heart of America Medical Center, the Heart of America Correctional and Treatment Center and local merchants, will set up booths at Dakota Farms on Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for a job fair put on by the Rugby Job Development Authority. Job-seekers can talk with prospective employers and fill out applications.

JDA interim executive director SyAnn Graber said prospective hirees should bring more than one resume.

The aim of the job fair is for businesses to find more help, Graber said.

“Community and economic development go hand in hand in a small community,” Graber said. “We know that a lot of businesses in town are closing early or they’re just closed, period, for a day or so. And it’s basically because they’re looking for workforce.”

Graber said the problem of businesses needing to find help extends beyond Rugby. In June, Job Service of North Dakota had 23,000 job openings statewide – two-thirds of which were outside of the Bakken oil patch.