HomeBusinessLack of workers putting...

Lack of workers putting stress on Island businesses

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As you browse the shops, dine in the restaurants and check into the resorts of Anna Maria Island, you may notice what’s becoming a familiar sight not just on the Island, but in cities and towns across the U.S.; the “help wanted” sign.

The problem? Not enough workers to fill all the jobs.

According to statistics from ZipRecruiter, even though job postings on the site have surged, participation rates among users remain sluggish at best. There are currently 5 million more job postings on the site than there were at the start of the pandemic, but businesses posting the openings are getting record low responses.

Island businesses seem to be seeing similar results.

“I probably spent $800 to $1,000 on Indeed and didn’t even get a phone call,” said Shawn Waters, owner of Solo’s Pizza in Holmes Beach. “Now I’m going to the high schools because they’re about to get out for summer break. Those kids aren’t on unemployment, because they haven’t had jobs yet.

“When the big crowds come for Memorial Day and the weeks following, I’m just going to have to take the phone off the hook after take-out times get to 45 minutes and focus on the business inside the restaurant,” Waters added. “I don’t want to do this, it costs me a lot of money, but I have no choice. I just don’t have the staff to do both.”

Solo’s isn’t the only Island business struggling to find help in the service industry. There are a lot of rental units on Anna Maria Island, and it takes an army of housekeepers to meet the demand of the record-breaking booking rates at area condos and resorts. Unfortunately for many of these properties, what was once a job for many, is now being done by a few.

“The service industry has suffered during COVID because they’re in a pay scale where they make more money with the unemployment that they’re getting now. Anything between $12 and $17 an hour, in that pay range, you can’t find what you need, but once that ends, there will be a lot of people looking for work,” said Kathy Wooten, general manager of Queen’s Gate Resort in Bradenton Beach.

Nervousness about returning to a safe work environment has also been cited as a reason for not returning to work, as well as the fact that many job seekers may not have yet realized just how much the job market has heated up. No matter the reason for hesitation, the reality is that there are currently more positions available on Anna Maria Island than there were before the start of the pandemic, and filling them is priority #1 for many Island businesses.

Most Popular

More from Author

TDC recommends raising tourist tax

BRADENTON - A visit to Manatee County could soon cost tourists...

Responses filed in negligence suit

HOLMES BEACH - The two defendants in a civil suit filed...

Artists’ Guild features Patterson

HOLMES BEACH - The last Holmes Beach Night Market of the...

Bradenton man arrested for allegedly selling cocaine

HOLMES BEACH - A tip from a witness about a suspected...

TDC recommends raising tourist tax

BRADENTON - A visit to Manatee County could soon cost tourists more, as the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) voted unanimously to recommend raising the county’s tourism tax from 5% to 6% at its April 15 meeting. The TDC makes recommendations to the Manatee County Commission, which...

Locals join hands to fight big government

HOLMES BEACH – A grassroots movement to bring awareness to Florida legislators’ efforts to consolidate or eliminate the three Anna Maria Island cities drew about 300 people to its first event, a peaceful protest on the sand. The crowd gathered just north of Manatee Beach on April 13...

State seeks contempt ruling in net camp case

CORTEZ – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is continuing to tenaciously pursue the enforcement of a 2019 judgment against Raymond “Junior” Guthrie to remove his net camp off the coast of Cortez in Sarasota Bay. According to the judgment, the state of Florida owns the submerged...

Sea turtle nesting season begins

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The traditional May 1 start of the sea turtle nesting season is now April 15, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, whose volunteers began monitoring the beaches this week for signs of nesting. Residents and beachgoers can help improve the...

Responses filed in negligence suit

HOLMES BEACH - The two defendants in a civil suit filed by the daughter of Miriam Trotter, 86, of Bradenton, who was killed in a traffic accident on May 12, 2023, have filed responses to the suit in Manatee County’s 12th Judicial Circuit Court. Deborah Trotter, 66, of...

Commissioners address consolidation

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners again discussed their concern about a move by the state Legislature to eliminate the three Anna Maria Island cities, consolidating them into one city, into the city of Bradenton or into Manatee County. During an April 9 meeting, Commissioner Terry Schaefer addressed the elephant...

Artists’ Guild features Patterson

HOLMES BEACH - The last Holmes Beach Night Market of the season packed the sidewalks with shoppers, diners and art lovers on April 12, who were introduced to the Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island’s Featured Artist, Kathy Lee Patterson. Patterson says she is inspired by local flora,...

Get to know Suncoast Aqua Ventures

Over the years, I’ve had the honor and pleasure of getting to know and work with many passionate and action-oriented citizens on the Suncoast, people who turn their concerns into accomplishments. While Suncoast Aqua Ventures was created by a handful of friends in 2016, in my experience...

Adult soccer league gets shaky start

ANNA MARIA – After the clearing of the rain clouds, the area adults played five soccer games in The Center’s co-ed league. With roughly 100 men and women playing this season, the games are compressed and the schedule was tightened to accommodate 10 teams. After three weeks of...

Prepare for hurricane season

Call me crazy, but whenever the hurricane predictions are disclosed for the impending hurricane season it seems to always be the highest number of storms EVER. Well, this year’s predictions are again warning of an extremely active hurricane season, so batten down the hatches and tie up...

Reimagining Pine Avenue bid higher than expected

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy is among those disappointed with the $1.4 bid received from C-Squared to construct a one-block Reimagining Pine Avenue prototype area. On March 25, C-Squared submit­ted the only bid the city received in response to the fourth request for proposals (RFP) issued since...

Commission receives proposed charter amendments

ANNA MARIA – Six potential charter amendments and an ad­ditional recommendation proposed by the charter review committee have been presented for city commission consideration. Charter Review Committee Chair Chris Arendt presented the proposed amendments to the city commission on April 11. The commission can accept, reject or modify any...