This is usually the time of year when local tourism businesses start hiring people to gear up for the summer season. This year, there are fewer of those hospitality jobs on the Grand Strand and more people out looking for them.
The hospitality industry's spring job fair was canceled this year because there just seemed to be no need for it. However, a few businesses say they're more optimistic about this upcoming tourist season and they're hiring.
Hospitality jobs are usually plentiful on the Grand Strand in March. But this year, the few openings coming in to the Coastal Workforce Center are for administrative or construction work. "We have no retail sales, not as many hotels and motels. I think they're calling back the staff that they had to lay off over the winter," said Mary Nell Smith, Coastal Workforce Center.
Oceana Resorts had 25 job openings this spring season, about the same as last year, and they were swamped with applicants, said CEO Frans Mustert. "In North Myrtle Beach, we had about 150, 160 people show up. But in Myrtle Beach, we had more than 400 people show up within a time span of about 4 hours."
Mustert said the upside is that the people applying for those jobs are highly qualified, adding that most hospitality businesses are holding off on hiring until they see how the season shapes up and few will hire more than they did last year. "You hear more the negative aspect of trying to do with lesser people and do the same job rather than trying to increase the level of services."
The latest quarterly survey from Manpower Employment Services shows only 13% of Grand Strand businesses plan to increase staff levels this spring, about half the number from a year ago. Still, that's a big improvement from the first quarter of this year and some employers are optimistic.
The Hampton Inn plans to hire 50 more people before summer, according to Marketing Director, Nancy Lee. "I think people are really ready to get out and come down to the beach. Maybe they missed a vacation last year and they're feeling a little more confident that the worst is over."
It used to be that 300 job openings was a low number at the Coastal Workforce Center. They only have 160 jobs available, the worst March anyone there can remember.
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