MAINE, USA — If you drive down just about any busy road in Maine these days, you're likely to see countless signs saying "Help Wanted" or "We're Hiring." Some businesses are now competing against each other, offering different incentives to try and draw more workers in.
Dysart's restaurant is just one of the many businesses struggling to hire more workers. Tim Dysart, Vice President of Dysart's, said they've even modified hours of operation at both the Hermon and Bangor locations to cope with the lack of staff.
"We've gone to shorter hours here (in Hermon) and at Broadway. At Broadway, for the last three weeks, we've been closed on Monday and Tuesday to be able to spread that crew between the two restaurants," Dysart said.
Meanwhile, other businesses are upping the ante of incentives being offered. Tradewinds is offering a $250 sign-on bonus plus free Netflix for a year to new employees.
So where are all the workers? Michael Mcrae, an employee at the Tradewinds in Bangor, has some ideas.
"There are people that are on unemployment, they'll put in an application and then they just have to show that they put in that application and got called in for an interview... they don't have to show up for it," Mcrae said.
McDonald's is also offering up more than just higher wages. Along with a $200 sign-on bonus, the corporation is offering employees up to $3,000 every year of employment to put toward college tuition costs.
Meanwhile, the Dunkin' on Broadway in Bangor posted a sign Tuesday saying it was being forced to close at 3 p.m. due to staffing shortages.
Dysart said he is hopeful that as the tourism season dies down, business will start to slow down so that he and his employees can catch up, and eventually return to full staff.