Employers say search for seasonal workers continues, situation improving slightly

May 26—Gerrity's co-owner Joe Fasula recalled Friday the major challenge he faced hiring for seasonal and other jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But as local employers seek seasonal workers with summer fast approaching, Fasula and others said filling positions this year has been somewhat less difficult.

"Generally we have decent luck hiring kids for the summer," he said. "We've had I'd say moderate success hiring this year and we're in decent shape, but we could certainly hire more."

In addition to Gerrity's Supermarkets, the Fasula family operates Gerrity's Ace Hardware stores in Blakely, Kingston Twp., Scranton and South Abington Twp. Seasonal positions are open at those locations and the outdoor garden center at the Keyser Oak Shopping Center, Fasula said.

"It got really hard during COVID and just after COVID," he said. "Things this year seem to have gone back to a normal hiring challenge, which still wasn't easy, but I'd say maybe this year is kind of more like 2019."

Teri Ooms, president and CEO of the Northeast Pennsylvania-based Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development, agreed the worker situation is improving post-COVID.

"We're seeing the people coming back, so the labor force participation rate has been increasing," she said.

After struggling to fill some positions in recent years, the Greater Scranton YMCA had an easier time staffing its summer day camp this year, Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer Rich Surridge said.

"I think we're only looking for one or two more staff there, which compared to past years is really good," Surridge said. "I'm not sure why it's been easier this year, but (we're) just fortunate, with the people who are coming back from past years and new applicants, that we're able to fill the slots."

But finding lifeguards and swim instructors to staff the pool at the Y's Dunmore facility remains a major challenge, with roughly six to 10 lifeguard jobs unfilled.

"Our aquatics department, yeah we're having a really hard time," Surridge said. "The aquatics department obviously lifeguards and gives instructions to our camp, so they're part of it. ... We're really struggling with that."

Lifeguard shortages here and across the nation have been a persistent problem for years, with public and private pool operators struggling to secure workers.

"We used to have to turn lifeguards away before COVID," said Mark Soprano, executive director of the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center in Wilkes-Barre. "We would have 10 or 12 on staff. ... Right now we have four lifeguards and we're thrilled to have them."

The lifeguard issue notwithstanding, Soprano agreed the broader hiring situation improved slightly this year. While jobs with the CYC's summer camp and school-aged program aren't attracting nearly as many college students as they once did, the organization managed to fill many positions with part-time workers and people working second jobs.

In addition to lifeguards, the organization still seeks summer camp counselors to work with children ages six to 13. Those are full-time positions providing prospective workers an opportunity to put in 40 hour weeks in the summer.

The CYC was able to fill all open day care positions. It's a welcome change from recent years, when the organization had to limit enrollment amid staff shortages.

"But now our facility is at near capacity," Soprano said. "I think right now we have close to 250 children registered."

The Schuylkill YMCA in Pottsville, meanwhile, was able to fill all of its summer day camp counselor positions this year.

"We did have trouble the last two years with getting counselors for summer camp, and this year we didn't seem to have that issue," CEO Amanda Karenda said. "We actually had more that applied than we needed."

Contact the writer: jhorvath@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9141; @jhorvathTT on Twitter.