It has been difficult for Shuswap employers to find good help.
Representatives from the Salmon Arm Downtown Improvement Association (DSA) and the District of Sicamous Chamber of Commerce said they had received calls from local businesses asking for help finding staff.
The Thompson-Okanagan economic region stretches from Princeton in the west to Golden and the border with Alberta in the east to Osoyoos and the state border of Washington in the south. It has an unemployment rate of 5.1 percent, according to WorkBC data from July 2021 – which said the region’s unemployment rate is consistently higher than the provincial rate.
Sheila Devost, Executive Director of the Sicamous District Chamber of Commerce, pointed out a particular problem contributing to the Sicamous labor shortage: housing. She said it is a “chicken and egg” situation where people need jobs to be able to afford housing, but people cannot work if there is no apartment.
“I get regular calls from companies trying to get in touch with people looking for work,” said Devost. She wish she could give them a better answer.
Labor shortages have affected Sicamous in the past, but this year the area fire on Two Mile Road and the COVID-19 pandemic have made things even more difficult for both workers and employers, she said.
With tourism being a major industry in Sicamous, the summer demand for staff is high while the availability of housing – especially affordable housing – remains low, Devost said. She said that some of the bigger companies, like houseboat companies, are doing their best to provide accommodation for their employees, but there is only so much they can do.
Sicamous business owners are exhausted, Devost said, as they invest many extra hours to keep their businesses going.
Askew’s Foods, with two branches in Salmon Arm, one in Sicamous and one in Armstrong, has had difficulty recruiting in each of the communities it serves.
Dave Wallace, general manager of Askew’s Foods, said each location has needed staff for the past year and a half.
“You could go to our stores almost anytime and you would find something to do, from entry level to skilled worker,” said Wallace. “Right now it’s really difficult to get someone into our stores to work there.”
Wallace said two Askew locations have had reduced opening hours since the COVID-19 pandemic began due to labor shortages.
“We don’t have the staff to keep the Salmon Arm Uptown facility open until 10pm,” Wallace said.
Those interested in knowing what Askew’s is hiring for can check out the Careers tab on the company’s website. However, with the company constantly on the lookout for employees, it is difficult to keep track of things, Wallace said.
He said the fact that “everyone is hiring” is what keeps people from working at Askew.
“If we’re looking for someone to work a shift in our delicatessen department at 10am and they can find a job all over town where they’ll be at home at 5, we’re going to have a challenge. And it’s not necessarily the money, ”Wallace said.
He said Askew is trying to be competitive and although new people are hired every week, it still needs more.
“I know three new cashiers have just started at the new Uptown location and we are very excited to have them on board,” said Wallace.
“We are very grateful for the employees we have. They worked tirelessly through COVID-19 and pulled extra shifts. “
Althea Mongerson, membership and community coordinator for DSA, said she had heard of several companies in downtown Salmon Arm that were short of labor.
“We’ve certainly seen it in restaurants, and it’s starting to invade retail too,” said Mongerson.
She said there wasn’t a single problem causing the labor shortage; there is a great mix of them.
The South Shuswap Chamber of Commerce has also faced adversity for its business owners recently.
Chamber President Lynn Ewart said employers have been battling their way through the pandemic for over a year and a half, and a massive labor shortage is challenging South Shuswap business owners to find and retain employees.
Continue reading: Two mile wildfire near Sicamous thanks to the “great job” of the fire teams: fire chief
Continue reading: Dissatisfied customer begins “food battle” in front of the Princeton hot dog truck
Do you have anything else we should report on? Email: zachary.roman@saobserver.net
Like us on Facebook and subscribe to our daily newsletter.
Follow Zachary on Twitter @roman_reports
Jobs and CareersLabor MarketLocal JobsPoor SalmonSicamousSummer Jobs
