Job seekers are hoping the new year brings new opportunities. Many attended a job fair hosted at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. The event drew a mix of college seniors looking for their first full-time job and workforce veterans.

News 12 New Jersey spoke with several jobseekers who are trying to stay optimistic during a difficult time.

Dolores Small says she was downsized from her position as an office administrator and that she never expected to be one of the job seekers. She was at her previous position for 23 years.

Organizers of the job fair are encouraged that the number of recruiters is higher this year. More than 170 corporations, non-profits and government agencies attended. However, that's compared with 250 that were at the event before the recession.