DENVER — Marco Dym feels certain people need jobs, but he's not sure why he can't seem to find employees.
"Literally I got an ad up for kitchen managers, dishwashers, servers, you name it," said Dym, owner of Marco's Coal-Fired Pizza. "I'm probably spending $500 a week advertising for jobs."
Dym has owned and operated his restaurant for over a decade and never struggled to find help until now.
"Well, I mean, I talk to people all over, all industries; everybody is in the same boat. There's just no labor. Why? A lot of people are blaming the unemployment, I don't know if that's the case. I'm sure it's a part of it. I don't think it's the whole thing," Dym said.
Denver7 has reported onthe staffing shortagesthat have been a challenge during pandemic recovery in Colorado.
"I've never seen anything like it," Dym said.
A spokesperson for the Colorado Restaurant Association says they also haven't seen this sort of staffing crisis until now. It's why the trade organization launched a new job boardthis week.
The board will allow CRA member restaurants to post open positions for free. For non-members, it's $50 per 45-day posting.
"We're already in. It came up, and we put our name in," Dym said.
According to data released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country's accommodation and food services industry has had the largest increase in job openings during the month of April.
"I mean, we're paying way above $15 an hour for back of house people. Servers are doing well because of tip money; they're making $25 to $30 plus an hour, so there's good money to be made, decent money," Dym said. "You name it, I'm hiring for it."
