The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) encouraged Tuesday new graduates joining the country’s labor force to avail themselves of the local jobs or overseas employment opportunities being offered in job fairs.

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque said this year’s graduates will have a wide selection of available jobs through job fairs where they can choose from, matching their set of skills.

“These job fairs for the benefit of new graduates form part of the agency’s employment service strategy to assist new entrants in the face of the current global financial crisis,” Roque said.

On Labor Day, May 1, various labor unions will conduct the biggest simultaneous job fairs in all regions nationwide to assist not only the new graduates to find jobs but also the displaced workers here and abroad.

Close to 1,000 employers and recruitment agencies nationwide would participate in the job fairs known as Labor Day Jobapalooza.

DoLE already began the online registration of applicants through the Jobapalooza Mobile Caravan equipped with Internet-ready computers to various barangays in Metro Manila.

Roque said fresh graduates can easily find jobs in the call center industry, technology and other highly in demand sectors if they are not “choosy” and they have the qualifications required by employers.

However, job matching, which DoLE has been reiterating, becomes the problem of applicants and newly graduates every year in their job hunt.

Earlier, it was announced by DoLE there are more than 50,000 jobs that await fresh college graduates and other job seekers. The job vacancies of various categories are available in the Phil-jobnet system.