ROCKY HILL, Conn. -- At an AT&T job fair held Thursday, it was apparent just how many people are looking for work as a result of the faltering economy.

Company officials said hundreds of candidates showed up at the Rocky Hill office after the company announced it has 100 positions to fill immediately.

Dan Garcia said he was thrilled to be standing in line. He said he was laid off by an engineering firm last week, and this is the first job fair he's found.

“I've been pounding the pavement since Monday, going industrial park to industrial park, door to door trying to sell myself, and I keep getting the same word everywhere I go: hiring freeze, not hiring, the economy's bad, everybody's got the same story right now,” he said.

The AT&T job fair is a rare ray of hope, Garcia said. Having applied for 80 jobs online since Monday, he said, this is his first real possibility.

“Regardless of what it is, I'll sweep the floors at this point,” he said.

AT&T is expected to hire about 100 people over the next several weeks.

“Retail sales consultants, retail management, U-verse installation, and those are some of the examples of jobs we've got available,” said Luis Gonzalez, director of sales for AT&T Connecticut.

The job fair came about a month after AT&T moved 60 jobs from a call center in Meriden to Michigan. Officials said some displaced workers will apply for the new openings.

Like real estate, they said hiring is a buyer's market right now.

“We're getting folks that are in customers service, retail sales, installation positions, folks from all walks of life, who are applying for the jobs, and we're excited about that,” Gonzalez said. “It's good news for AT&T and good news for Connecticut.”

While the job fair was a one-day deal, the positions are still available, he said. Interested parties can apply at the AT&T Web site.