Party hosts unemployed Central Texans

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) - It is not a statistic that you are unfamiliar with: The 6.5 percent unemployment rate in Texas.

One group of people decided to take the lighter side of that and make a celebration out of it. Mix 94.7 and The JB & Sandy Morning Show hosted Austin's Inaugural Pink Slip Party at Doc's Drafthouse in Pflugerville on April 9.

Granted, everyone in attendance was slightly down-on-their-luck. However, this "anti-job fair" focused on networking and conversation. Attendees brought contact cards to give out to the on-hand career consultants. The consultants offered tips and advice on how to target your job search. There was even a color-coded system to distinguish between those seeking jobs and those recruiting.

All sorts of companies were there. The free appetizers and drinks specials helped relax the unemployed while they talked to consultants.

Believe it or not, this is not the first time a " pink slip party" has happened. Places like New York City to San Francisco and all the way across the globe to Australia and China have hosted parties under the same umbrella.

So, as Central Texas moves from recession to recovery, some organizations are trying to focus on the positive and not making the job search a chore.