May 16—New Hampshire's unemployment rate has hit historic lows again, which could create more challenges for businesses already struggling to find enough workers.

Many businesses have spent weeks — if not months — heavily recruiting high school and college students for summer positions, especially at popular tourist destinations like Water Country in Portsmouth.

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 2.1% in April, down from 2.4% in March, according to data released Tuesday by Employment Security. The April 2022 seasonally adjusted rate was also 2.1%.

Nationally, the unemployment rate for April was 3.4%, compared with 3.5% in March.

In the midst of this tight market, seasonal businesses are scrambling to hire people.

Water Country has been looking to hire 300 employees for its 40th season and hopes to have 75 percent on board before opening day on Saturday, June 3, said Kathryn Nedelka, assistant manager at the water park.

The park is currently hiring for all positions, including lifeguards, housekeeping and security, with wages up to $20 per hour. Oftentimes, employees are taking a second job or teachers working summers.

"We've actually been recruiting since November," she said. "It's the environment we are in. We want to get our returners committed as soon as we can."

Returning employees help create a leadership team and train new employees, she said.

The water park held job fairs last month and last week. It pays for on-the-job training and course fees for lifeguards, Nedelka said.

"Lifeguards are the backbone of our company," Nedelka said. "We know that that is a tough job and a demanding job, and they need to go through a lot of training and keep up with that training throughout the summer."

'Hard to get much lower'

New Hampshire Employment Security Deputy Commissioner Rich Lavers said the state likely has one of the lowest rates in the county, but those statistics won't be out until later this week.

The state added 400 workers between March and April, according to the data.

"We are down about 5,600 in people identifying themselves as unemployed," said.

He about 12,000 fewer people are participating in the labor force as compared with 2019. Some of them might be taking on gig jobs like working for Uber or Instacart or self-employed consulting jobs, mostly in the 25- to 34-year-old demographic.

"I think those people are continuing in that position both because of what they are earning and the flexibility they have," Lavers said.

The state's unemployment rate stayed around 2.6% before spiking to 16% in April 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It would be hard to get much lower," said Taylor Caswell, Business and Economic Affairs commissioner. "Anything in a 2% area is really seen as almost a full employment scenario."

The state released tourism figures earlier this week showing an estimated 4.3 million overnight visitor trips and $2.35 billion in visitor spending, and the state needs employees to make it happen.

"It continues to reflect what we see out there, which is a lot of continued investment, a lot of continued workforce needs and employers doing everything they can to get the workers that they need," Caswell said.

Longtime Manchester brewer Peter Telge of Stark Brewing Co. recently opened Bond Brewing & BBQ on Elm Street in the city. Hiring has been a challenge for both spots.

"I haven't stopped hiring for three years," he said during the grand opening of Bond earlier this month. "We are going to continue to hire: We are looking for more people. We are looking for bartenders. We are looking for counter help, kitchen help and managerial help."

Most restaurants are in the same position, he said.

"You get a lot of people who come in and they don't last," Telge said. "They last a week, a month. They have issues. They maybe find better places or whatever."

McDonald's restaurants across New Hampshire are looking to hire more than 1,500 employees this summer and offering full-time or part-time flexible schedules, career advancement opportunities and tuition assistance, according to a news release.

Lavers said there are still "historically high" numbers of job postings.

"Employers need to continue to really look at what they are looking in terms of those flexibilities and what they are offering for paid leave," he said.

While recruitment efforts continue, Nedelka of Water Country says the company is on track for the 75% mark before the start of the summer season.

"New Hampshire is a tough state with regard to the unemployment rate. That rate is historically low, especially when looking at the U.S.'s unemployment rate," she said. "But we find at the park that there is always that next generation of youth who are looking to get their foot in the door."

jphelps@unionleader.com