After the huge crowds seen at recent jobs fairs in Leicestershire, visitors to a recruitment day for East Midlands Airport arrived early to avoid the queues.

However, many job seekers were surprised by the relatively calm scenes at the event in a Loughborough community centre yesterday.

Organisers said "a steady flow" of about 120 people turned up at the Moira Centre between 10am and 2pm to apply for 50 posts in retail, cleaning and warehouse work.

It was a stark contrast to a chaotic recruitment day at Twycross Zoo, earlier this month, when 3,000 people showed up to apply for 150 low-paid seasonal jobs and hundreds had to be turned away.

In January, dozens of job-seekers were sent home after a police recruitment meeting in Belgrave, Leicester, was overwhelmed by more than 400 people – double the number organisers expected.

Among the visitors to the Loughborough event yesterday was an 18-year-old man who lost his job when Coalville's Woolworths closed in December. He said: "I'm surprised there aren't more people here – it's been well advertised.

"I was one of the people turned away from Twycross Zoo because it was so busy. I've struggled to find work."

Mark Cunningham, 33, of Sileby, worked as a scaffolder with Loughborough building firm William Davis for six years but was made redundant, with dozens of colleagues, weeks before Christmas. He said: "It has been really hard."

After paying for food, bills and rent, Mr Cunningham says he is left with £25 a week from his Jobseekers' Allowance.

He said: "I'm hoping for any kind of job – cleaning, or anything – as long as it's full-time."

Terry Harris, 61, of Shepshed, worked for a Leicestershire building firm for 36 years before being made redundant shortly before Christmas.

He said: "I thought there would be more people here looking for jobs. I'm willing to take any job, but there are lots of younger people in the same position.

"This recession has really affected me. It's soul-destroying."

Dawn Price, of East Midlands Airport, said demand for jobs at the Castle Donington site had soared, but she was impressed by the "steady flow" of "good-quality" job candidates at yesterday's event.

She said: "I probably get 40 CVs on my desk every week now, compared with 20 a week last year."

Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce said the turnout in Loughborough may be a sign that workers were faring better than in neighbouring counties.

Figures for January show the number of people claiming Jobseekers' Allowance in Leicestershire, excluding the city, reached 9,109, or 2.3 per cent of the working population.

The rate is higher in Derbyshire (4.1 per cent) and Nottinghamshire (2.9 per cent).