Southwest Michigan restaurants and other businesses are heading into the tourist season facing a severe shortage of employees. Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber President Arthur Havlicek tells WSJM News restaurants are having to scale back operations due to no one applying for jobs.
“You’re starting to see just about all of them adjusting their hours because they’re all operating on skeleton crews, if you will, and they’re terrified of burning the workers they do have out,” Havlicek said.
Havlicek says many local businesses are trying to attract workers with more incentives.
“They’re offering hiring bonuses. I saw Silver Beach Pizza has a hiring bonus if you want to come work in their kitchen and work a certain amount of hours, and they’re not alone in that. I’ve seen a bakery offer employee housing.”
Still, Havlicek says the expanded unemployment benefits often remain a disincentive to working. He also says the restrictions that remain on restaurants make some potential employees feel there’s too much uncertainty to go back to them. He notes the owners and managers of restaurants and hotels are taking on more tasks as workers remain scarce with hotel managers cleaning rooms and tending bar. Havlicek advises those who aren’t working to get a job while it’s easy so they can get some of the incentives. He notes the chamber has been talking to local lawmakers about the problem.
