LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – When the COVID-19 pandemic began and stores had to close, the future was unpredictable. Employers say they never thought worker repatriation would be an issue they would encounter.
Lola Pokorny brought New Orleans-style cuisine to Las Vegas.
“Whether deep south, Creole, deep south Cajun … I love Louisiana and I love Louisiana cuisine,” she shared with 8 News Now. “I’m from Louisiana; I catered here for 15 to 17 years before opening Lola’s Downtown. ”
Pokorny opened Lola’s Louisiana Kitchen with locations in Summerlin and downtown Las Vegas.
“My first born restaurant has closed permanently, and that’s not because of COVID. It’s due to the aftermath of COVID, “she explained,” so you could say … it’s a COVID victim. We are unable to occupy it. ”
The restaurant owner says he couldn’t find any employees downtown. She tells us that it’s still a challenge with staffing in Summerlin.
And just when Pokorny thinks that she will get a few new employees:
“We ask them, ‘Are you only taking this interview to prolong your unemployment?’ and they will tell us, ‘Yes.’ So we know they won’t show up. ”
The additional $ 300 weekly benefits continue for many states, including Nevada. Some say the extra money is keeping people from getting back to work.
“At this point, I think 24 governors have suspended payment of federal benefits,” said Christopher O’Leary, senior economist at the WE Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
He points out that the added benefits could play a role, but may not be the only reason behind the difficulty in hiring.
“Other factors play a role, such as housing costs in certain areas,” said O’Leary. “Whether it’s unemployment benefits or benefits or not, we’ll have to wait and see when it ends.”
The additional benefits should end in September.
“I would have tons of people applying for the job; 90% of them didn’t qualify, ”Alexandria Lightning, a nurse, told us. “The 10% that did it organized interviews, maybe 10 interviews, but of the 10 only one or two came up.”
She opened a doctor’s office in Henderson during the pandemic, and hiring wasn’t easy either. She gets creative with the jobs she has.
“Traditionally we have everyone on-site, but one of my main managers, my office manager, is actually allowing her to work from home so she can still have the work life she wants,” said Lightning.
Companies across the valley are in the same boat, with rental signs. Time will tell if the lingering problem goes away.
“It happens across the country,” emphasized Pokorny. “It has to come to an end; Nobody can tell us when that will happen. ”
Speaking about the hiring issue during a small business roundtable, Governor Steve Sisolak said it was a multi-faceted issue. He notes that the extra benefits unemployed workers receive may play a role for some, but he believes there is a bigger problem.
“One of the problems that exists is that the minimum wage has been way too low for too long and people just weren’t making enough money. And now some of the companies are recognizing it, ”said the governor. “When I come out, I hear this from restaurant and bar owners. It’s not the top jobs that they have a problem with; it’s the jobs without a tip. ”
Sisolak says the discussion on how to address the hiring problem is ongoing. From childcare to financing, they want to overcome the hurdles people face when they return to work.
