CHAT News file photo

By Teagan Rasche

Labour shortage

Local businesses having a hard time finding staff

Jun 24, 2021 | 4:17 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Business owners across the city are trying to fill their staff shortages.

Chris Hellman, who owns Mr. Lube and Moxies, says it hasn’t been easy.

“We used to probably get five or six unsolicited resumes a week even when we weren’t even looking and then now when we’re looking, we’re probably lucky to get two or three,” Hellman said.

Hellman’s struggle to find good candidates is one Katrina Borrows knows all too well. Borrows owns Madhatter Coffee Roastery and says she’s never had hiring problems until now.

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“We normally get about 80 to 100 resumes and we’ve gotten like 10, maybe, and out of those not all of them are qualified,” Borrows said.

It’s not just in the service industry where jobs remain vacant.

Marcus Campbell, who owns Terralta and Air-Tech, is struggling to hire employees skilled in trades.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Campbell said. “What we did see is a lot of foreign applications.”

With foreign applicants, he says their training doesn’t convert to the Canadian labour force.

Campbell is also the president of the Medicine Hat and District Chamber and says the labour shortage is a problem across southern Alberta for a variety of reasons.

“I think maybe there’s been a bit of relaxation with CERB money that came through,” Campbell said. “I think there’s still a bit of fear built into people’s mindsets.”

Back at Mr. Lube, Hellman agrees.

He says employees have been laid off up to three times this past year and might not be seeking employment. Hellman hopes that this summer once school is out and there are fewer restrictions, more people will be applying.

‘I hope the government takes a good long look at what they can do to assist in pushing people back to work,” Hellman said.