People are coming from around the world for a chance to work in Moncton.

A job fair aimed at boosting immigration drew hundreds of people to the Avenir Centre on Friday.

Filling these vacancies can mean millions of dollars to the city, and, since 51 per cent of Moncton's population growth is coming from immigration, it’s a trend the city hopes to continue.

Job fairs, like the one held on Friday, are aimed at attracting top international talent and retaining the ones who may already be here attending post-secondary institutions.

“Our goal is to keep people here and we know one of the main ways we're going to do that is through matching them with employment,” said Angelique Reddy-Kalala, an immigration strategy officer with the city of Moncton.

There were about 35 vendors at the job fair representing a wide range of industries. They were looking to fill nearly 1,000 job openings.

Filling these vacancies can be a big payoff for the city. Previous job fairs have helped add millions to the economy.

“We know that we've filed over 250 positions as a direct result, this is actually adding about $8 million worth of payroll within our economy,” said Reddy-Kalala.

The job fair attracted a lot of interest as more than 500 people attended.

“We feel really great about some of the conversations we've been having with some people,” said Jacquelyn Stephen of the Delta Beausejour. “We’ve accepted resumes but also given them our business cards and a list of our job openings and opportunities available.”

Opportunity is what Gilberto Ayala is looking for.

He flew in from Mexico last week to attend.

Ayala is looking for something in the customer-service industry.

“It's a very beautiful city,” he said. “I've noticed it’s been growing a lot and they welcome immigrants and that's what I like about Moncton.”

Matina Sergiadou has noticed Moncton's growth too. Sergiadou is from Athens. She and her Canadian husband recently moved from Manitoba.

“Coming to Canada in general and seeing that there are lots of opportunities for work and growth, it's impressive,” said Sergiadou. “But I understand, Moncton, it's a booming city and it has an economy that is always growing.”

That booming economy is one of the main things that makes Moncton appealing to job seekers from here and around the world.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis.