TEXARKANA -- Right now, labor is at a premium, with "Hiring" signs on almost every street corner. And it's not just the service and hospitality industries, though things are so rough in that sector that some restaurants have had to modify their operating hours to deal with the situation.
It is not for lack of customers this struggle is happening, it is for a lack of available labor.
One local restaurant that had to go to evening hours during weekdays, temporarily ceasing Monday through Friday lunch service, said his current staff were trying to man all the hours and were burning out. So he had to pull back. For a few other local places, the employee shortage contributed to them closing their doors.
And that's just one sector. The employee shortage is felt across a wide range. Skilled labor jobs go unfilled that demand skill sets upfront, but do offer good to great pay.
Red Carpet Employment Agency, a local hiring office specializing in matching workers with employers, testifies to the current struggle to find good help.
"We could put all kinds of people to work right now, today," said Aggie Butler, co-owner of Red Carpet with her husband Dwayne. "The problem is, they don't seem to be looking."
Red Carpet has been in the employee recruiting business in Texarkana for years, but according to Aggie, she has never seen anything quite like this.
"We are talking good jobs here," she said. "From basic office positions requiring a bit of accounting, computer skills. We have a dire need of lots of truckers. If you hold a CDL at this time, you can just about write your own ticket in terms of working hours, days, benefits. And all across industry, they need production people, shipping, receiving, warehouse staff, maintenance technicians of all kinds. Also, retirement communities are needing staff as well."
Taking a look at the trucking industry alone, according to CNN.com, it is trucks that move more than 70% of freight in America, and they are short 80,000 drivers to move all this freight. According to sharerig.com, that shortage is predicted to increase to 200,000 drivers by next year.
Butler does try to be optimistic about it all, even so.
"At some point, people do have to go back to work," she said. "We are a relatively small agency, I can't imagine what the bigger firms are going through right now."
(Several the Gazette tried to call did not get back with us immediately.)
Red Carpet Employment Agency recommends job hunters check out what they have to offer at redcarpettemp.com.
"Not just one thing there," she said. "You can find all kinds of jobs."
Other local agencies include Express Employment Professionals at expresstexarkana.com, as well as Temporary Services Unlimited and Manpower at work4manpower.com.