SANTA CRUZ >> This fall, job-seekers have options, with unemployment at the lowest point in four years at 5.4 percent.

Big retailers — Toys R Us, Target, Kohl’s and Macy’s — are trying to fill more than 240 seasonal jobs, with Target hosting a three-day job fair 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Bay Photo Lab, locally owned and operated, will have a hiring fair 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 920 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley, to fill 50 seasonal jobs in production, shipping, invoicing, warehouse and customer service.

That’s not all.

Two dozen employers with at least 200 permanent jobs will be recruiting at the Access2Employment job fair 5-7 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Cocoanut Grove, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz.

“This season, it’s kind of like Christmas for everyone,” said April Masters Ruhne, director of human resources at Bay Photo, where seasonal pay starts at $12 an hour and employees get a 40 percent discount on Bay Photo products.

Bay Photo has different shifts, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 3 p.m. to midnight, for almost all the positions, and some shifts are just weekends, said Masters Ruhne.

Asked if a seasonal job could become permanent, she said, “that happens pretty frequently. We like to keep as many of our seasonal staff as we can.”

Permanent employees get medical and dental insurance and can open a 401K retirement account.

TARGET

Leilani Mendoza, human resources manager at Target in Capitola, has 30 seasonal and 15 permanent jobs to fill, including sales, back room, security and Starbucks.

Pay starts at $11 an hour, with time-and-a-half offered to peak weekends and days in the shopping season. Employees get a 10 percent discount.

“New this year are weekend-only positions, which is rare,” Mendoza said.

Target’s Watsonville store has 30 seasonal jobs plus 20 to 30 jobs in “pick and ship,” which she said is “like a little UPS.”

She recommends job hunters apply online at jobs.target.com/seasonal/ and then come to the job fair prepared to interview.

“We will talk to people on the spot,” she said. “There could be a full interview.”

TOYS R US

Yes, Toys R Us in Santa Cruz is hiring despite that bankruptcy filing last month.

Brittany Shober, the human resources supervisor, said 80 positions are open paying $10.50 per hour, with employees getting a 10 percent discount on merchandise. On the overnight shift, pay is $11.50 per hour.

“We have a lot of fun,” she said, recommending applicants apply online at toysrusinc.com/careers/.

Kohl’s plans to hire about the same number of seasonal workers as last year. That would mean about 50 employees for its Capitola store, which hosted a job fair Oct. 7.

Kohl’s offers employees a 15 percent discount on merchandise.

Macy’s also is hiring for the holidays but information on the number of openings at the Capitola store was not available.

ACCESS JOB FAIR

Employers at the Access2Employment job fair are looking to fill a range of positions, executive assistants starting at $22 per hour, senior accountants starting at $28 per hour, and medical administrative staff, $17 per hour.

Jobs also are available in hospitality, customer service, manufacturing and senior care.

Several special events to help job seekers get ready have been scheduled including a wardrobe workshop.

“We really feel the excitement is growing with this year’s A2E Job Fair and hope to get the word out to those who are unemployed, those looking for new opportunities or students just starting out,” said Consuelo Juarez, who chairs this year’s Access2Employment job fair.

“It’s a buyer’s market for job-seekers,” said Phil Rodriguez, who is relaunching the Profile professional job search club with an open house 1-3 p.m. Friday. “There are more jobs than there are qualified candidates.”

ACCESS2EMPLOYMENT JOB FAIR

When: Job fair 5-7 p.m. Oct. 19 at Cocoanut Grove, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz.

Who: Two dozen employers including Santa Cruz Nutritionals, 52 openings; Threshold Enterprises, 42 openings; Safe at Home Senior Care, 29 openings; Santa Cruz Staffing, 22 openings; Homeless Services Center, 13 openings; 1440 Multiversity, more than 12 openings; SunOpta, seven openings.

Profile of Santa Cruz: Professional job search club open house 1-3 p.m. Friday at Capitola Career Center, 2045 40th Ave., Suite B, Capitola. 831-479-0393 or email profileofsantacruz@gmail.com.

Wardrobe help: Get a professional wardrobe at thrift store prices, 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 15 at Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

Job seeker mixer: 5 p.m. Oct. 17 at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, 402 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz.