Oakland Holiday Job Fair September 23: Seasonal Hiring Starts at Eastmont

Published: September 14, 2026 | By LocalJobPage Team

OAKLAND, CA — The holiday hiring season does not start in December. It starts right about now, and East Oakland gets its first real crack at it on Wednesday, September 23, when the Oakland Private Industry Council hosts its Annual Holiday Job Fair at Eastmont Town Center on Foothill Boulevard.

Three hours on a Wednesday afternoon, and the East Bay's seasonal hiring window is already open.

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📍 Event at a Glance

Event	2026 Annual Holiday Job Fair
Date	Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time	1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Location	Eastmont Town Center, 6955 Foothill Blvd., Oakland, CA 94605
Format	In person, on site
Organizer	Oakland Private Industry Council
Questions	Oakland Career Center, (510) 858-6742

Why a September Fair Is Really a December Paycheck

Seasonal hiring runs on a calendar most job seekers guess wrong. Retailers, warehouses and delivery operations want people trained and badged before the first big weekend, which means the interviews happen in September and early October, not the week before Christmas. By the time the parking lot at Bay Street is full, the schedule is already written.

That timing is the whole argument for showing up on the 23rd. A seasonal job taken in October is also the cheapest audition there is: East Bay warehouse and retail operations convert a share of their peak-season hires into regular roles come January, and the ones who get converted are rarely the people who started in December.

⚠️ What the Organizer Has Not Published Yet

We would rather be straight with you than pad this out. As of this writing, the Oakland PIC listing gives the date, the time and the building, and not much else.

No employer roster. No list of who is recruiting has been posted. Treat the roles below as the sectors that hire seasonally in Oakland, not as a confirmed lineup.
No admission price stated. Oakland PIC events are typically open to job seekers at no charge, but the listing does not say so outright, so we are not going to say it for them.
No room or suite confirmed. The listing points at 6955 Foothill Blvd. The county's Eastmont offices are spread across several suites in that complex. Call (510) 858-6742 before you drive over, and give yourself ten extra minutes to find the room.

One thing working in this fair's favor: Eastmont is easy to reach without a car. The Eastmont Transit Center sits in the same complex, so an AC Transit bus puts you at the door.

💵 What Seasonal Work Actually Pays in Oakland

Oakland's minimum wage is $17.34 an hour as of January 1, 2026, well above California's $16.90 statewide floor. But do not anchor on the floor. Peak-season competition in the East Bay pushes real starting pay for warehouse, delivery and experienced retail work above the legal minimum most years.

One thing worth carrying in your head all fall: the address where you do the work sets the wage floor, not where you live and not where the company is headquartered. A shift in Emeryville or Berkeley falls under those cities' own ordinances, both of which sit higher than Oakland's. Same commute, same county, different legal minimum. Ask which location a job is actually staffing before you accept it.

📋 How to Show Up Ready

Printed resumes. Bring six. Nobody at a folding table wants to scroll your phone.
Your real availability. Seasonal hiring is a scheduling problem first. Nights, weekends and the week of Thanksgiving are the answers that get you hired.
ID and work documents. Some employers run applications on the spot.
Go early. Doors at 1:00. The last half hour of any three-hour fair is the thinnest half hour.
Ask the conversion question. "What share of your seasonal hires stayed on last January?" It is a fair question, and the answer tells you which table is worth your time.

🔎 Where to Aim This Fall

Whether or not you make it to Foothill Boulevard on the 23rd, the seasonal window is open across the East Bay right now: the Port corridor, the Jack London warehouses, Fruitvale retail and the airport.

Start here:

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the Oakland Holiday Job Fair?

Wednesday, September 23, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Eastmont Town Center, 6955 Foothill Blvd., Oakland, CA 94605. It is hosted by the Oakland Private Industry Council.

Do I need to register?

No registration link has been posted. Plan on walking in, and call the Oakland Career Center at (510) 858-6742 if you want to confirm before you go.

Which employers will be there?

The organizer has not published a roster. Holiday fairs in Oakland typically draw retail, warehouse and logistics, food service, security and in-home care employers, but no lineup has been confirmed for this one.

Is it free to attend?

The listing does not state an admission cost. Oakland PIC job seeker services are generally offered at no charge, but call ahead if that matters to your plans.

Are seasonal jobs worth taking?

Often, yes. In warehousing and retail a share of peak-season hires get converted to regular positions after the new year. Treat it as a paid tryout.

How do I get there on transit?

The Eastmont Transit Center is in the same complex, served by multiple AC Transit lines running the Foothill, MacArthur and Bancroft corridors.

Before You Go

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