A “help wanted” sign hangs in the doorway of Aspen Pie Shop downtown as customers enjoy an afternoon meal on the patio in Aspen on Friday, July 16, 2021. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
A security company turns away upward of $50,000 in business, a hotel cancels two beer tastings, and a restaurant says it can’t take on any more diners.
That lost business isn’t due to tight public health regulations but what has transpired in their wake — a labor crunch that is stretching the output of both employers and their employees in the Aspen area, and one that mirrors what is happening nationally.