Christine Davis
Executive Director
Carlsbad Village Association

The mission of the Carlsbad Village Association includes supporting the efforts of the hundreds of small businesses in downtown Carlsbad as it works towards making Carlsbad Village a premier destination in North County San Diego. That is why we answered the call by employers in the retail, restaurant and hospitality sectors when they made it known they were having trouble filling open positions by hosting an in-person job fair on Sept. 25.

It was every business owner’s assumption that after living with the COVID-19 virus for 18 months, that business would be back to normal or at least a close version of normal. But while consumers are returning to main street to shop, dine and play, workers are not returning in levels to keep up with the demand.

The small businesses in downtown Carlsbad have shown tremendous resiliency and creativity for the past year and a half. But now they are faced with a new challenge, because of the pandemic, and this one does not come with relief funding, grants, or financial assistance from the state, county or at the local level. When they should be in full recovery mode, they are now short-staffed, and the strain is starting to show.

“I’ve been in this industry for a long time, and I’ve never worked so hard to find qualified employees,” said one general manager of a fast-casual eatery in Carlsbad Village. “We used to turn interested applicants away because we didn’t have room for them. Now we’re just chronically short-staffed and hoping people will just show up for their interviews.” Interview no-shows are more prevalent now than ever before.

At the recent job fair, employers from the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort, Handel’s Ice Cream, and even the Carlsbad Fire Department were on site, along with over a dozen other enthusiastic businesses. Many others would have participated, but, ironically, they could not leave their businesses long enough to attend due to being shortstaffed.

“We’re Hiring!” signs adorn the windows of many businesses in the Village. It is a daily topic of discussion, and the issue of a staffing shortage does not look like it will be ease up anytime soon. Meanwhile restaurants are reducing their hours of operation and retail stores are doing their best to make do with less coverage on the floor.

How can you help? First, spread the word that Carlsbad Village businesses are hiring. Part-time, full-time, salaried, per diem, you name it. The Carlsbad Village Association is teeing up a job board on its website (www.carlsbad-village.com) for downtown businesses to help move the needle on this problem. Second, continue to support the small businesses downtown and continue to play an active role in their recovery from the pandemic. Help them through this new and difficult phase in their recovery efforts as they learn how to meet consumer demands with less staff on hand as they search for their newest team members.