Job fair: Hundreds of internet café workers hold onto hope after laid off during shutdown

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Employees who were laid off after nearly 200 internet cafes shut down piled into a job fair this afternoon.

Theresa Jones is one of the hundreds of local people who suddenly lost their jobs when nearly 200 internet cafes closed across Jacksonville.

“I’m just at home doing nothing. I’m surfing the internet for work,” said Jones.

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Jones worked as a security guard at an internet café.

She came to the job fair because money is getting low.

“Got bills to pay,” said Jones.

More than 40 businesses set up tables inside the Emmett Reed Community Center for a job fair Thursday.

Brookdale Senior Living Solutions, Jacksonville Transit Authority, JEA, Goodwill, Amazon, Gate gas stations and many others were there giving people an opportunity to apply for a job.

No one was hired on the spot at the job fair, but people were able to fill out job applications and give them to the employers right away.

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“I really love working at the arcades, so hopefully they can reconsider it,” said Jones.

All of this is an effort to help hundreds of people who are now unemployed after the city's ban on internet cafes.

“Couldn’t understand why, but crime is still everywhere. As you can see, there is crime still being committed even after they shut us down,” Jones mentioned.

Attorney Kelly Mathis represents three cafes in Jacksonville. He says they are still looking at their options even though a judge denied an appeal.

Cox Media Group