“Now Hiring!” “Join our team!” “Apply Inside!” Signs, flyers, and posters like these have popped up in front of businesses all around Utah County as evidence the local economy is seeing the same shortage of workers that has been widely reported nationwide.
Evan Chase saw one of these signs outside Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream in Provo last September. When he went inside the store and asked about job openings, the manager hired him that same day. Three people left within a month of Chase joining the team.
Although it wasn’t his ideal choice, Chase works the morning shift at Brooker’s. At times he comes in early to take apart, clean and reassemble the dipping cabinets where the ice cream is displayed. Chase said the job normally requires two people, but staff shortages have left him to do the task alone.
While there are enough employees for the ice cream store to stay open, there are no extra people. “If I was sick or something like that, I don’t know if someone could take my role,” Chase said. “It’s difficult to find people to substitute for you.”
Despite the many apparent job opportunities, some local business owners and managers say they barely have enough staff to stay open. Smaller businesses in retail and food services have been hurt by an ongoing lack of employees.
Employee shortages
“No matter where I go, I always see a hiring sign,” Provo Bakery manager Jackie Norton said. “I see employees stressed out having to deal with so many people by themselves.”
The Provo Bakery is a small, family-owned business and Norton said the bakery has been busier than ever despite the COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult to keep up with demand.
“There were weeks that I never had a day off to make sure that all our shifts could be covered,” she said. The holiday season brings so many orders to fill at Provo Bakery that Norton can hardly spare one employee to help customers while the staff works in the back.
Becky Olsen, assistant manager at Bella Ella Boutique in University Mall, has faced similar staff shortages. She said the store has scheduled several interviews, but people rarely show up. Olsen has worked at Bella Ella for a year and a half, so she’s seen the lack of dedication employees have shown since the pandemic began.
“A lot of people would quit ten minutes before their shift,” Olsen said. Many of Bella Ella’s past employees have been unreliable, which Olsen thinks is connected to the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of unemployment money.
“It’s hard because I don’t want to overwork the employees we do have,” she said. “You’re trying to find that happy balance and being able to make sure that everyone gets their holiday hours and make sure everyone is able to take time off, but also being able to run and stay open.”
Unemployment since the pandemic
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that unemployment rates spiked at the start of the pandemic. While unemployment rates in the United States have decreased since then, the national unemployment rate is still higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Unemployment rates in Utah have also decreased this year according to the Utah Department of Workforce Services. This data could imply that while the job market in Utah and across the United States is improving, it is still taking a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Olsen said unemployment money could be the reason fewer people are seeking out jobs. “I think that people will actively seek a job, get the interview set up and show proof that they’re trying to get a job, but then they don’t show up to the interview,” she said.
To fix this problem, Bella Ella Boutique matches the wages of its competitors and offers sign-on bonuses. Olsen said after 30 days of working, Bella Ella employees can receive a $250 bonus. These incentives work for some people, but many people still schedule interviews and never show up, she said.
This map shows a random assortment of several businesses advertising their job openings in central Utah County.
Norton said the Provo Bakery and other small businesses may have trouble hiring employees because they can’t compete with bigger chains who can raise their wages. She also said bigger companies can offer remote positions with flexible hours that seem more appealing to job applicants.
The need for employees is great, but Norton recognized that staff shortages are hard for everyone at the Provo Bakery. Norton said with her employees, “All I can really do is be patient and know that they’re struggling just as much as I am.”
