Restaurant industry struggling to find new hires

MARYLAND – As Ocean City gears up for the Summer season, some are still trying to find the staff to serve the community.

47 ABC spoke with some businesses in the resort town that say they have had a lot of success following the pandemic because they prepared. Also, many businesses adjusted their menus to keep up with the impacts of the pandemic. However, some businesses are still struggling:

Susan Jones with the Hotel-Motel Restaurant Association says having a place to stay, plays a role”With the more seasonal businesses it may be harder because they have to hire more J-1 summer work travel students, and when you do that you do have to find housing for them, so housing is a very critical issue,” said Susan Jones, the Executive Director of the Hotel-Motel Restaurant Association.

Jones said it’s also hard to find new hires because during the pandemic so many people left the industry, causing a shift for people to look at their business model, and with technology growing many businesses began using online ordering.