The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce has canceled its first Job Fair, originally scheduled for March 6 at the Western Maryland Collegeforum.

Intended to attract applicants for positions with area companies, the Job Fair hoped to bring in people from a five-county area.

But a weakened economy and lack of applicants for the event led the chamber to cancel it.

"We sent a letter out to our entire membership, about 900," said Jill Kartalia, Chamber of Commerce administrative assistant. "Initially, we got zero response -- not one back."

A few calls came in later, but it was not enough to suggest following through with the Job Fair.

"It was clear that this was not the time or place for a Job Fair, so we immediately canceled," Kartalia said.

When the chamber first announced the Job Fair in October, unemployment in Carroll County was only 3.3 percent; it jumped to 4.5 percent in November.

"When things look up, we'll try it again," Kartalia said.