HAMPTON BEACH – Local business owners sounded alarm bells over an impending worker shortage at Hampton Beach this summer if more J-1 student visas are not processed.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and recently appointed Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with business owners during a roundtable Monday morning at the Seashell Complex.
Shaheen and Raimondo were visiting the Hampton area to tout ways a block of $750 million contained in the American Rescue Plan and the American Jobs Plan can be used by businesses and municipalities coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
John Nyhan, president of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce, said the cap on foreign students seeking J-1 visas needs to be lifted beyond the current number. He estimated without the typical influx of foreign students coming to the area for the summer, Hampton Beach will be short approximately 450 seasonal workers alone.
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HAMPTON – Kevin Hart, of Hart Plumbing and Heating, says there are plenty of opportunities for a young person looking to have a successful and rewarding career in the trades.
The Seacoast-based company, owned by his brother, is always on the hunt for skilled workers and is consistently busy with non-emergency appointments scheduled four to six weeks out.
“We have 14 guys and those 14 guys can work overtime whenever they want to work overtime,” Hart said. “That s how busy we are.”
With the average licensed electrician and master plumber aged 55 in New Hampshire, the state is facing a skilled worker shortage as a generation of tradesmen gets ready to retire. And homeowners, Martin said, are already starting to see the impact with higher prices for service and long wait times if it’s a non-emergency.
Tourism industry uncertain if international student workers will be available this summer
International travel restrictions block student workers Share Updated: 6:55 PM EDT Mar 16, 2021
International travel restrictions block student workers Share Updated: 6:55 PM EDT Mar 16, 2021
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Show Transcript GET INTO THE COUNTRY. WHEN ACTIVITY PICKED UP AT HAMPTON BEACH LAST SUMMER, SOME EMPLOYERS HAD TO TAP FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO STAY IN BUSINESS. WE CLOSED EARLY. WE ARE USUALLY OPEN THROUGH OCTOBER AND WE CLOSED THE SECOND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE ANY STAFF. JENNIFER C: IN A STATE WITH LOW UNEMPLOYMENT, TOURIST AREAS LIKE THE BEACH RELY HEAVILY ON J-1 STUDENT VISA WORKERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. STILL GROUNDED BY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS. IF WE FIND OUT THAT ONCE AGAIN LIKE LAST YEAR, THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO COME, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SCRAMBLE. JENNIFER C: WITH FINGERS CROSSED, CHUCK RAGE STARTED
HAMPTON New Hampshire State Parks is planning on a “close to normal” summer at Hampton Beach with parking lots open at 100 percent capacity, nightly entertainment on the Seashell Stage, and other events taking place on state property.
Phil Bryce, director of the state’s Division of Parks and Recreation, told selectmen Monday that will be the agency s recommendation to the governor for the upcoming summer tourism season. We are trying to get as close to normal operating as we possibly can, Bryce said. “…We are looking forward to a really big season this year.
Bryce said state parks will continue to follow all COVID-19 safety protocols including promoting social distancing and mask-wearing. However, they would like to see all other park operations return to what they were pre-COVID.
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