They’re lining up at Skyline Mall.

Hundreds did on Wednesday, and though the numbers dwindled a little on Thursday, the mall still had more than 40 applicants waiting for interviews for the 100 new positions for the Wal-Mart Supercenter, which opens in late October.

&uot;Obviously we’re going to have many more positions,&uot; said Steve Hofmeister, assistant operations manager for the Albert Lea Wal-Mart. The new store will have a grocery, car lube and tire change service area, vision center, one-hour photo center and possibly a salon. Hofmeister said that will mean more specialized positions.

Wal-Mart’s job fair runs through Saturday at Skyline Mall, next to the Senior Resources of Freeborn County office.

Hofmeister said the new store will have 300 employees, 200 of them moving over from the current Skyline store.

So far, he said, the job fair has drawn a big crowd.

&uot;We’ve had hundreds of applications,&uot; he said. &uot;Some people waited from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for an interview Wednesday.&uot;

He speculates that they probably had so many applicants because of the &uot;sluggish&uot; local economy.

According to Curt Schoenrock, a program specialist with the Albert Lea office of the Department of Employment and Economic Security, the market for jobs isn’t great right now.

&uot;It’s not as bad as it was several years ago,&uot; he said. Still, he added that some aren’t working where they could be.

&uot;Many people in our community are underemployed, not unemployed,&uot; Schoenrock said.

But the retail jobs offered at Wal-Mart provide a different environment, he added.

&uot;Though it isn’t a new business, it still feels like a new place to work,&uot; he said. &uot;Some people who have jobs are probably applying because they want a change of scenery.&uot;

For 16-year-old Josh Goskesen, Thursday was an opportunity for exactly that.

&uot;I’ve been working at McDonald’s for the last two years,&uot; he said. &uot;I’m interested in Wal-Mart because it’s a new store, I’d get to meet new people and deal with different things.&uot;

Karen Arett, of Albert Lea, wasn’t looking to switch gears. After carving out a long career in administrative work for a local company, she was laid off.

&uot;I was downsized,&uot; she said. &uot;It is a little difficult, but I think it can be a positive change.&uot;

The new employees will begin work in early October. According to store manager Alan Suitts, the new supercenter will open on Oct. 29 at 6 a.m. The Skyline Wal-Mart will close at 10 p.m. the night before.

&uot;We’ll have a grand opening on the 29th, but as soon as we’re done with that the tills will start ringing,&uot; he said. &uot;We won’t miss a beat.&uot; For Bonnie Friday, who has been a greeter and snack bar manager at the Skyline Wal-Mart since it opened in 1987, the move will be a welcome change of scenery. But starting fresh isn’t so new to her.

&uot;It’s definitely going to be a change,&uot; she said. &uot;I’m anxious to see the inside of the new place. It will be so big. But I guess this place seemed like it was big back in ’87, too.&uot;

(Contact Peter Cox at peter.cox @albertleatribune.com or 379-3439.)