Open, but where are the workers?

Employers still struggling to fill job positions

By Art Steinhauer | Manor Ink Mentor

Livingston Manor, NY – National press reports have abounded lately concerning the problems that a wide range of employers have had with filling their staffing needs – resulting in critical shortages of nurses, truck drivers, construction and warehouse workers, etc. Locally, similar reports have emerged as schools, bus companies, contractors and restaurants have unfulfilled positions.

Greg Lofaro, general manager of Livingston Manor’s Catskill Brewery, confirmed the problem. “Absolutely, we have had problems hiring – not only us but we hear the same from our customers and suppliers,” he said. Lofaro added that it has been difficult to get applicants for positions not requiring a lot of experience or specific skills, but it has been even harder to find qualified candidates for skilled positions.

“The process can be long and painful,” Lofaro said. He mentioned the challenge of finding delivery drivers with clean driving records as one example. For positions requiring a specific skill set, such as brewing or cellaring, Lofaro said most if not all persons with such experience would have to relocate to the area, and the lack of good, affordable housing here, even for someone on good wages, can be a serious barrier.

Some hires never show up

Rob Rayevsky, proprietor and chef at Upward Kitchen in the Manor, confirmed the issue. “We have had great problems hiring staff, much more than we have ever experienced,” he said. Some applicants do not show up for interviews, or for training even after being hired. Rayevsky said they have raised their pay scale, but acknowledged that restaurants can be a difficult place to work. “The hours are long, and the pace can be stressful,” he said. “Think about working in a hot kitchen during the summer.” Rayevsky has sometimes had to rely on friends and family to fill in. However, he is glad to see pay increasing and working conditions improving for restaurant workers, as there is more competition to hire them. “This, in the long run, is a very good thing.”

Rayevsky also said the employment situation has affected his business in others ways. Many of his suppliers have also had trouble filling positions. “Our producers can’t find drivers or farm workers,” he said. “We’ve had to change suppliers this summer due to the delivery and production problems they’ve had.”

Help from the county

Loreen Gebelein is the director of the Department of Workforce Management in Sullivan County. The department’s mission is to work with employers to train persons who need skills and assistance obtaining jobs. The department operates a Career Center where participants can also get help applying for jobs. She said the county currently has approximately 4,000 persons getting unemployment or public assistance, a historically high number, and the county knows that local employers are desperate for help.

Gebelein explained that, due to the virus, the state had suspended the requirement that persons receiving unemployment benefits actively search for a job. That suspension, however, has now ended, as have supplemental federal unemployment payments, so she hopes that now more unemployed persons will be looking for jobs.

Gebelein, however, noted that many of the unemployed are women, and they are the ones most likely to be providing childcare within their families. “I think their main concern is COVID, that a lot of women are still keeping their kids at home, or are fearful the schools will again have to close,” she said. “They’re also scared of taking a job and contracting the virus.” The problem is exacerbated by the limited availability of childcare in the county.

Gebelein also said training has been a problem, as some training facilities, such as Sullivan County BOCES, had to go to virtual instruction. “Our population doesn’t necessarily want or do well with online training,” she said.

Gebelein hopes the situation will improve soon, but that the lack of childcare is a big problem for many families. She said the county has the resources to help people through the process of offering childcare to others in their own home, including financial support. “The requirements are not extensive and we’re hoping to see more people offer child care, in addition to large employers setting up their own facilities,” she said.

Manor Ink Editor-in-Chief Osei Helper contributed to this story.