As more COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, Virginia businesses are in urgent need of new hires.
Restaurant owners said things won’t fully return to normal for the industry without a robust workforce.
The main concern has gone from having enough customers, to finding people to serve them.
“We need employees. It’s great to see the crowds come back, but at the same time it’s really tough because we’re running on about half of our staff,” said J.C. Pierce, Owner of Pierce’s Pit Bar-B-Que. “A lot of these folks thought, ‘why should I go back to work when I’m making more money sitting at home.’”
“We definitely have ads out everywhere and looking everywhere that we possibly can, but it’s just hard to find anyone,” he added.
Gov. Ralph Northam said all restrictions on capacity and social distancing are now set to be lifted on May 28.