ORLANDO, Fla. – As the holiday season unfolds, over 1,500 residents in Central Florida face an unexpected challenge—not just in finding the perfect gifts, but also in seeking new employment opportunities.

“It’s really heartbreaking,” commented Orange County Commissioner Michael Scott, who serves District 6. “No one wants to be out of work during the holiday season.”

Scott shared his thoughts with News 6 on Sunday, just before a job fair he is organizing with Career Source Central Florida to assist those affected.

This initiative follows recent announcements from companies about workforce reductions at local facilities.

Last month, PepsiCo Foods disclosed plans to shut down two Frito-Lay locations in Orlando. As of May 9, 2026, 46 employees at the Parks Oaks Avenue site will be impacted by these closures.

[VIDEO: 500 individuals facing job loss due to Frito-Lay plant shutdown in Orlando]

That number is on top of the 454 workers who were already laid off last month. They worked at the Frito-Lay plant on Silver Star Road, which is in Scott’s district.

“One of the employees reached out to me,” Scott said. “She said she’s been working there for 26 years, and so you can imagine investing in a company for that amount of time, and now all of a sudden you don’t have a job, and not only do you not have a job, you don’t have that job around the holidays.”

Kroger also recently announced it would close a fulfillment center in Groveland, leading to the loss of almost 1,000 jobs.

[VIDEO: Groveland residents, small businesses feel ‘hard hit’ by loss of Kroger facility]

Hudson also revealed it would close four retail stores at Orlando International Airport, leaving 34 people out of work by late January.

“It’s scary,” Scott said. “You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow or next month or next year, and I hope this isn’t indicative of a potential trend of additional layoffs of other employers. Hopefully this is just a unique situation for these companies and that we don’t see additional layoffs next year. But it is scary.”

So the career fair, Scott said, comes at a critical time.

More than 20 prospective employers will be represented at the career fair, including Universal Orlando and a number of hotel groups.

“Some of [the employers] have actually committed — like, ‘We’ll be able to extend some offers either that day or the next day,’ so I’m excited, man,” Scott said. “I’m excited but also hopeful.”

The career fair will be held at the Orange County Multicultural Center, Monday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.