DETROIT — When the hiring managers at General Motors Corp. put out the word that they would hold a job fair to fill 400 new technical and engineering posts, they expected a big response.
But not 7,000 resumes.
Yes, times are tough in southeast Michigan, where all three Detroit-area automakers have cut thousands of hourly and salaried positions.
But because of the skills needed for the openings, GM didn’t think the publicity would generate as many responses as it did.
‘‘They didn’t have a specific number in mind. However, given that a majority of these jobs are in areas where talent is in somewhat short supply, 7,000 was more than we expected,’’ said GM spokeswoman Brenda Rios said.
The jobs, in hybrid and diesel powertrain engineering, battery and fuel cell development, software controls, wireless technology, information systems, in-car communications and other skilled areas, are mostly in southeast Michigan.
GM hiring managers spent several weeks screening the resumes, which the jobseekers posted on a special Internet site. They stopped taking applications Tuesday, then invited 600 people to the career fair, to be held today at a top-secret Detroit-area location.
Most of the applicants currently have other jobs, Rios said.
The new posts are needed because GM wants to speed up work on advanced technologies and fuel economy, the company has said.
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