Thousands of unemployed New Yorkers braved the frigid cold in Midtown Tuesday, waiting in line for a chance to meet potential new employers and attend seminars at the "Women For Hire Career Expo."

The throngs of people crisscrossing the sidewalks outside the Sheraton New York Hotel underscored the desperation growing among the jobless in New York City, and across the country. The unemployment rate in New York City is 7.2 percent, and stands at 7.6 percent nationwide.

Tory Johnson, the organizer of the 10-year-old event and chief executive of Women for Hire, said the crowd was something she had never seen before. The expo, which saw about 1,500 people pass through its doors when it was last held in September, recorded that many attendees in the first hour.

Overall, the event brought in 5,103 people, according to Johnson. She noted that while most of the attendees were unemployed, some came to prepare for the possibility of a pink slip.

Men were allowed to attend the biannual event for the first time. Johnson said the decision was borne out of dozens of requests from women who had attended previous events, seeing a need for their husbands, brothers and fathers to find a job, too. About one of every five people in the line that spanned two city blocks was a man.

The event also included seminars that allowed attendees to consider other routes in one of the most difficult job markets in decades — including graduate school and small business ownership.

One of those in line, June Kistoo, 50, had been a receptionist for ten years before quitting to open a gourmet store with her son. But after six months, the store failed, sending Kistoo back into the job race.

She says she's tried to network within her social circle, and made cold calls and visits to potential employers. But nothing's worked. So now, she says she's getting desperate.

Desperation is something Bernadette Brassington, 50, says she's feeling as well. Brassington, who lives in Brooklyn, has been unemployed for about a year, ever since she was laid off from a job as a legal administrator. Some consulting work in the meantime has kept her afloat.

But Brassington says she's exhausting every option, including visiting several employment agencies and attending career events.

"The market is so bad right now, there are so many people looking for work — you just go wherever you have to go," she said.

Kevin Greene, 37, says he had reservations about attending an event geared toward women, but he's ready to try just about anything to get his face in front of a potential employer.

"It's so hard to get to talk to people face-to-face when you're looking for work, but it's so important," Greene said. "Anything to avoid the black hole of e-mailing a resume."

Greene, who worked for a software company that made applications for financial services companies, lost his job right before Christmas. He hadn't prepared for possible job loss by updating his resume or putting money aside. Instead, Greene said his wife, a teacher, has been taken on some tutoring work to bridge the gap. The couple has a 15-month-old son.

Greene said he would consider just about any job, trying to relay any of his previous work experience into a leg up for a new one. "I've never been laid off for this long, I always found someplace to go before my time was up," he said. "I think the economy is the worst it's ever been — at least in my lifetime."

Tory Johnson, after relaying thousands of people into a hotel ballroom to take their chance in front of recruiters, agreed.

"I wish I knew when it was going to get better, she said. "It's unfathomable to me, when I hear its going to get worse before it gets better, I just can't imagine this getting worse."