Jersey Shore Businesses Looking For Summer Help
NEW JERSEY (CBS) -- Help Wanted. Jersey Shore business are trying to fill summer jobs before the start of the season.
Getting a job at the shore is pretty much a "shore" thing if "you can get somebody to stay get somebody to stay from memorial Day to past the Labor Day mark, you would hire them in a heartbeat," said Holly Kisby of Shriver's Salt Water Taffy and Fudge in Ocean City.
She says most college students head back to school around mid-August, leaving businesses shorthanded.
Many employers say they're having trouble finding summer workers. Part of the reason is a lack of affordable shared housing.
They still need to hire up to 70 more employees at the Bolero Resort in Wildwood for the summer season.
"Kind of struggling right now to find exactly what we're looking for. I think once the actual summer kicks in, Memorial Day Weekend or so, there'll be more people down here looking for jobs. I know a lot of the college students still haven't made their way down yet," said General Manager Michael Lerro.
He believes that if young people don't have a place to live, then shared seasonal housing can be pricey.
"The majority of the new hires are children of second homeowners," said Jim Bennett, owner of La Costa and Lobster Loft in Sea Isle City.
Which means they have a free place to live, and the majority of Bennett's summer workers return each year.
In Ocean City, the Chamber of Commerce works with local high schools to recruit workers.
"It's a great starting place for a lot of kids who are just beginning in the workforce, and a great place to make some memories as well," said Katherine Custer, Director of Community Services in Sea Isle City.
On May 20th the Sea Isle public works department is hosting a job fair to find seasonal help.
