The fair, hosted by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program and the Kentucky Coal Association, attracted more than 200 in Hazard and Pikeville, two areas hardest hit by coal market shutdowns and layoffs.

Patriot operations executive vice-president Mike Day said that the producer was looking to advance with the initial round of hiring over the next couple of weeks, hiring 40 now and approximately 40 more in the short-term future.

“We’re looking for people to hire immediately, and then we're also looking for people in the first quarter of 2014,” he said.

EKCEP spokeswoman Bridget Back told local media that the idea behind the job fair was in part to help miners stay in the state, as many of those furloughed are leaving Kentucky for other opportunities.

“A lot of these guys, that's all they've ever done, and they really have a love for the job and the industry itself. They want to stay with that,” she said.

One of the most recent hard hits in the state came late last month with the confirmation that Alliance Resource Partners’ Excel Mining subsidiary would close the doors on its Pontiki operation in Martin County.

The permanent idle, which will go into effect in early December, will leave 142 workers without jobs.

Alliance cited continued weak market conditions and a lack of new coal contract commitments for the decision.