State Fair seeks 1,200 more workers for Great Minnesota Get-Together

The Minnesota State Fair has 1,200 jobs to fill, a year after struggling to attract enough workers to run the end-of-summer extravaganza and just days after the state broke the national record for the lowest unemployment rate in recorded history.

The fair has already hired more than half the 2,700 workers it's seeking to staff ticket booths, parking lots, rides, games and barns, and to work as custodians. Last year, officials came up short with a total of 2,100 workers, including full-timers. But they say they're optimistic they will fill the remaining open positions in time for opening day Aug. 25, emphasizing that working at the Great Minnesota Get-Together appeals to everyone from students to retired seniors to moonlighting professionals.

"This is a real short-term gig. It's a really a fun one. There are not a whole lot of jobs where you work 12 days. There's a lot of people who enjoy the fair and just want to be part of this big celebration," said the fair's General Manager Jerry Hammer. "I know a lot of people who take off time from their regular job to work the fair."

Minnesota's 1.8% unemployment rate is the lowest in the nation, offering job-seekers a range of options and making it harder for employers to find and retain workers.

Dozens of people pre-registered for a job fair at the State Fairgrounds on Wednesday, Hammer said, and hiring will continue throughout August at the fair's Employment Center. If the event still ends up being short-staffed, he said, they'll make it work by having staffers work across department lines.

"You have to prioritize," Hammer said. "Even if we don't hit our 100% number, the fair will be just fine."

College student Abi Furlano was one of about 50 people waiting for the doors to open at the job fair Wednesday afternoon. Her seasonal youth coaching job ends soon, she said, and a neighbor urged her to apply at the fair.

"I am just trying to earn a little extra cash before I go back to college," Furlano said.

Pay starts at $11 an hour and applicants must be 16 or older, fair spokesperson Maria Hayden said.

"What an opportunity for a first job," Hammer said. "This is an outstanding opportunity to get that kind of experience in a really nice environment. The whole thing is one big celebration."

Fair jobs can be a draw for more seasoned workers, too.

Fay Cushman takes time off from her full-time library job every year to work guest relations at the fair — a summer routine since 2009. She said she lives near enough to the fairgrounds that she can hail a bike cab to work each day.

"We troubleshoot and help make things right," Cushman said of her customer service role. "I really enjoy it."

Cushman, whose daughters have also worked stints at the fair over the years, said she usually has an evening shift but shows up early to walk around, look at exhibits and try her fair favorite: honey ice cream. She anticipates this year will be especially meaningful to employees and guests.

"People seem to feel so detached and isolated after COVID. They need a chance to mix it up, elbow to elbow with other people and just be happy with their families," she said.

For more than a decade, Ron Jacobson also took time off from his full-time bank job to work the information booth as the fair. He's now retired from the bank, but still reports for duty at the fair each summer. He also indulges in a few footlong hotdogs and catches up with his "extended fair family," he said.

And this year, Jacobson has taken a new gig helping manage bingo for the Minnesota State Fair Foundation.

"It's so much fun to be at the fair for all 12 days," said Jacobson, of Coon Rapids. "It just ends up being a really good time."

The 2022 Minnesota State Fair runs Aug. 25 through Labor Day, Sept. 5. Visit mnstatefair.org for more information.