Back ck into Florida ’ s Economy
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“ The workforce shortage is a huge concern ,” she said . “ I recently read an article that in Myrtle Beach they were very concerned prior to the summer because the hotels were already nearing 100 % capacity and they didn ’ t have enough workers .”
Lukasik said labor issues have raised concerns about service levels and guest expectations as more destinations reopen for visitors .
“ There ’ s a pent-up demand for travel and we continue to ask people for a little bit of grace some days ,” she said . “ That ’ s the biggest concern I ’ m hearing , that ’ s the focus , the labor shortage .”
While the impact of the pandemic is a major factor in the evolving employment landscape , in some ways the tourism industry is a victim of its own success .
“ As demand has recovered , so has the need for a highquality workforce ,” said Gil Langley , CEO of the Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau . The issue is exacerbated by the changing demographics in the available workforce pool .
“ Given that Amelia Island ’ s population average is 50-plus , we are becoming a retired-resident workforce , which has resulted in significant difficulties in filling jobs in the hospitality industry ,” Langley said . “ A related factor is the inability to recruit foreign visa-waiver workers since travel to the United States is only allowed from a few non-traditional countries .”
Lukasik in Flagler County said the recovery of the tourism sector and optimistic projections for future growth have helped push the overall recovery from the pandemic .
“ Florida has been open for a while , so we recovered a lot faster
OCTOBER 2021 | 5 |