The Suffolk County Labor Department held a job fair in Sayville on Tuesday as some business owners say they are struggling to find employees.

The department says there are currently 29,000 jobs available on Long Island. 

Suffolk County Labor Department Commissioner Rosalie Drago says the top industries looking for employees right now are in health care, education, technology and hospitality. She says job seekers are looking for better pay, help with transportation and flexible schedules, including a more improved work-life balance.

“We used to hold centralized large job fairs, but now people are more comfortable in smaller settings,” Drago says. “Employees, the job seekers, are seeking flexibility, hybrid work for many of the industries, so if they're faced with options that employers who don't offer hybrid solution, that's been a challenge for a lot of the roles.”

Some industries have struggled to find employees because there's been a shift in the kind of work people want since the pandemic.

Michael McElwee owns four restaurants and bars on Long Island. When he spoke with News 12 in the summer, he said it was hard for him to find employees. He says the situation hasn't improved much since then.

“Some people are basically coming on after a couple of weeks and then saying, ‘I think I want to go to a different industry,’” he says.

McElwee says it's forced him to think outside the box and offer prospective employees more financial incentives

“We're offering signing bonuses and bonuses if you stay with us for three months, but it's just it's harder and harder to recruit the people that truly want to work,” he says.

If you're looking for employment and couldn't make it to the job fair, click here for a list of openings.