A record 203 job recruiters turned out for the Job Quest job fair yesterday hoping to fill thousands of openings in what continues to be one of the tightest job markets in the country.

Despite forecasts of an economic slowdown and this month's increase in Hawai'i's minimum wage to $7.25 per hour, companies, government agencies and nonprofit groups were still trying to hire some of the 3,900 people who came to yesterday's job fair at the Neal Blaisdell Center.

"There may be some indicators of a slowdown," said Beth Busch, Job Quest's executive director. "But it's just not reaching into the job market."

With Hawai'i's 2.2 percent unemployment rate, job candidates can continue to be picky — and employers need to continue to offer perks and be flexible with hours, Busch said.

"A 3 percent unemployment rate is considered full employment," she said, "So 2.2 percent is scary low."

Andrea Thomas, 26, of Makiki, filled out applications for the handful of openings she found in marketing and graphic design at the job fair and said, "I'll find a job. I'm very optimistic."

In just the first hour of the job fair, Brian Fisher, sous chef at Kincaid's restaurant in Ward Warehouse, had interviewed half-a-dozen qualified candidates for a variety of positions.

But he knew they would also be in high demand from Kincaid's competition.

"It's tough out there," Fisher said. "We just have to be competitive."

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.