Labor shortage: Employers increase wages and benefits to lure workers the-daily-record.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from the-daily-record.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Patrick Cooley
Business groups cheered Gov. Mike DeWine’s decision to lift all coronavirus-related restrictions on restaurants and bars, but some restaurant and bar owners found themselves fretting over whether or not to keep mask rules or social distancing restrictions in place.
Customers who aren’t actively eating and drinking are currently required by Ohio law to wear masks, and tables must be spaced at least six feet apart unless they can be separated by a partition. Those requirements end soon.
In a televised address Wednesday evening, DeWine said the state health department will lift all COVID-related regulations, aside from those governing nursing homes and assisted living facilities, on June 2, citing falling infection rates and rising vaccination rates.
Ashland-area restaurants struggle to fill void in employment
Avaerie Fitzgerald
Special to the Ashland Times-Gazette
All across the Ashland County area and beyond the hunt for employees has become the new norm for restaurant owners.
There has been a decrease in job applications following the state’s shutdown in March 2020, and as a result, several restaurants have been adjusting hours of operation and are struggling to meet demand.
Owner Rob Stoops said that they have not received any applications since around January.
“Everybody is in the same boat,” Stoops said. “You see [the hiring signs] up and down the streets and some are in a wage war, but people still are not coming out to put an application in.”
8B
At this time last year, many businesses were struggling to stay afloat due to COVID-19 shutdown orders.
Today, some restaurants are struggling to keep their doors open due to difficulty finding staff.
The Loose Moose Grub & Pub in Sagamore Hills posted on its Facebook page this week that it would close because of not being able to find enough workers. If you know someone who would like to work, please tell them to send an email to: loosemoose205@gmail.com, the post stated. The restaurant s website states that Loose Moose will be temporarily closed until further notice.
Loose Moose representatives were not immediately available for comment.