Memorial Day Weekend is just four weeks away, but businesses down the Jersey Shore are struggling to fill thousands of seasonal positions. On the boardwalk in Atlantic City, many store managers say there is a lack of applicants for seasonal positions.
“People want to get out and do stuff,” Maria Henry said.
The Henry family made a day trip to the Atlantic City boardwalk on Wednesday, but they really can’t wait to bring 2-year-old Isabella to Morey’s Piers in the Wildwoods when it opens next month.
“She’s going to love it,” Henry said. “We went there as kids, so just continuing the tradition.”
But the 70-year-old amusement park has a lot of seasonal jobs still open.
“We have 1,500 jobs in positions like ride operator, lifeguard, food and beverage, games, parking,” Denise Beckson with Morey’s Piers said.
Morey’s Piers is offering $15 an hour for seasonal workers. That’s well above the state minimum wage for seasonal workers in New Jersey at $11.10 an hour.
“I think that the extended unemployment benefits contribute,” Beckson said. “I think that the extended unemployment benefits contribute,” Beckson said. “I think people’s continued COVID safety issues are an issue. For some people, perhaps childcare.”
“We really do have an employment crisis going on in Cape May County and for our seasonal businesses,” Vicki Clark with the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce said. “But really, it’s across the board.”
And this impact the eastern shore how??? Who cares what happens in New Jersey?
Fact is, OCMD can not find people because they worked the system for J1 students, cutting out locals for decades. If you are a local wanting to work in OC, and I have seen many looking – you have to live an hour away because there is no where to live. There are local’s looking to work, you see them asking in many of the OC fb groups
So what happened to all the J1 housing and why isnt it being offered to locals that want to work there? Can’t hold them hostage if they quit? Too complicated to evict them vs the J1’s who automatically have to leave?
Sunsations is the only ad I have seen offering housing if you work for them – Smart owners there.
Employers also brought this on themselves
I recently saw an ad for an admin assist in a dental office for $13. Think they have people banging down their door when there were numerous other ads for the same type of position for $16 – $20 an hour?
It is comical that anyone thinks $12-$13 an hour is an appropriate and livable wage, especially as an admin holding much more job responsibility than a kit assembler at a local manufacturer who is also advertising $12-$13 an hour. I would apply for the kit assembler job if I had to choose.
Good old Smallsbury / Easternshore with the ghetto elite still thinking that;
it is cheap to live here (lie) and
its a good strategy to keep their employees in poverty so they can’t escape their servitude.
While the smallsbury landlords have conspired to jack up all the rents, which few can afford, and more complexes of fake “luxury” apts pop up, who can afford to live here on $12/hour?
Looks like the chickens are coming home to roost as you watch the elite whining about an employment climate they created.
Mindset at City Fail (OC) hasn’t adjusted accordingly. There was a blip of strategic long term planning, but that outside hired guy decided to drink himself into an accident with a county call.
POOF he went, then a retread took the helm, fighting about Capital Improvement Plans and then COVID derailed that 20th century mindset.
I ask again, someone had an idea (HA) to bring folks from Puerto Rico in….guess that went POOF too since as 1039am stated – NO HOUSING!
Housing has been discussed yet tabled for at least 4 decades now. More important to build build build for revenue as well as pushing an additional route 90 bridge…..more $$$$$$
Housing plan – if not now, when?
Ooops, the Puerto Rico story is DOA.
Now its El Salvador.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA
El Salvador? Good Grief Rickie!
One can’t make this stuff up!
These “small business owners” have no one to blame but themselves…many hogged up all that government PPP “grant money” that is literally a bailout and they still don’t want to pay people a living wage in an area with high cost of living. Most business owners will continue to game the system, bitch and moan, and blame extended unemployment rather than their own greed and not wanting to help build up a solid middle class…to hell with them.
No Business has a right to exist if it requires exploitations wages to earn profits…..
Bitch/moan – these smaller business have hug rent payments since the island is very very expensive.
Seen the explosion in west OC? Along the West 50 corridor? That was the islands failure for building way too much. Small mom/pop motels – POOF. Small cottages – POOF. Look at the main chain hotels with their 2nd, 3rd and 4th tiered hotels. They are big money, planted for long term.
They have the meats! Not small folk. Ask Leighton, John and our other biggies who received stimulus…it was in the papers too!
Well Ya have to Pay More $$$$ then & don’t WINE !!!!
send me my cheese for my wine!
(snicker snicker)
Leave people alone & let them get the rest of their Stimulus until Sept 2021 !!!!
Not right that Jealous Businesses are Trying to get Stimulus & Unemployment benefits Cut off from the
people in America !!!!
They have suffered & Waited too long to get their needed Benefits , & they Deserve ALL of them !!!
Many will Never recover & are Ruined !!!
Business should Blame the Govt & the Virus & don’t expect people to give up their Benefits !!!!
People should be allowed to decide for themselves , to work , if & When , & control their own lives !!!!!
Just Hire the usual Russian Girls , since you pay them hardley Nothing every summer !!!!