Shoveling, Plowing Jobs Tough To Fill In Mountain Towns
SILVERTHORNE, Colo. (CBS4)- Early season snow is a welcome sight for many in the mountains as ski areas open for the season. The continued snowfall is weighing heavy on some business owners in the high country as they struggle to fill vacant positions in fields like plowing or shoveling.
Drew Hanson manages Ankerholz Inc., a business in Summit County, and says the tight labor market in Colorado is leaving him stuck with extra-long hours because finding enough workers for the work has been a challenge.
"I love it when it snows man it's like being a little kid playing in big heavy equipment is like playing Tonka trucks," Hanson said as he works.
"I've been in four different pieces of equipment already this morning."
The combination of a low unemployment rate with high housing costs in resort towns is hitting smaller businesses especially hard right now.
"The staffing has been really hard. We've tried raising wages; we pay people $18 an hour just to shovel, we pay $22 or $23 with no experience to start plowing. I don't know what more we can do," Hanson added.
With plenty of work to go around, he says it's actually hurting business because if he can't find employees willing to work these long hours, he is forced to turn work away.
"It's a good business to be in and it's constant work, but it's getting increasingly more difficult to find employees."