CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — You may have shown up to a local fast food restaurant and found its lobby closed for the day. More than likely the reason has to do with a lack of workers.
In part two of a special series called, 'Help Needed', 3News is diving into the changing workforce specifically how the pandemic has had a lasting impact on the labor force.
The president of the Coastal Bend Restaurant Association calls it one of the most challenging times for businesses trying to recover.
Workers simply have not returned which has left managers struggling to fill entry level positions.
We've even seen a number of eateries that simply couldn't survive and had to close because of the pandemic.
At the Good N Crisp chicken on Padre Island, Liberty Golay is feeling the heat. The manager for the fast food restaurant has found herself spending more time at work, rather than at home.
"I have 160 plus hours in per pay period. I'm here anywhere from seven in the morning to 11 at night," Golay said.
She doesn't see it slowing down anytime soon, and the hectic conditions means Golay is in desperate need of workers.
'Help wanted' signs have remained posted up outside the restaurant since the pandemic.
"I can't get people to come in and apply," Golay said.
She said there's been little interest and some workers she has hired don't last, due to wanting higher paying jobs.
"The ones who have come in, started and moved on have been the younger, newer generation who are starting their families," Golay said. "So they are just kind of getting out in the workforce first time around and realize 'I can go try this or that' and want something a little better than the food industry is what everybody thinks."
This business isn't alone in the struggle to find good workers. Over the last month there were 700 jobs added to the leisure and hospitality industry right here in the area.
"The workers definitely didn't come back and that's for every part of our industry," said Glen Mier who is the president of the Coastal Bend Restaurant Association.
Mier is also the owner of the Angry Marlin, one of two restaurants he runs on the island. He said too many job openings and not enough workers has employers competing for staff.
"I think we can all try to guess or theorize why the workforce has changed. The reality is, it just has." Mier said.
So what's the solution?
"Personally I have had to create incentives, hiring bonuses, ways to try and get people to come and do a interview," Mier said. "But the reality is looking at your business and trying to evaluate where you can motivate people who were employed to stick around and not just through money, but by a good work environment."
According to the US Chamber of Commerce, the workforce crisis is slowing the nation's economic recovery.
In a November 2021 poll - out of 529 people, more than one in ten (13%) have left multiple jobs during the pandemic.
A hiring bonus of $1,000 remains the top incentive to get more people onboard.
Meanwhile, Golay is currently down five front end positions and a cook.
She's also doing what she can to fill the gaps, even recruiting family to lend a helping hand, but it has taken a toll.
"There are times we had to close the lobby because I don't have the staff to run the lobby and the drive thru," said Golay.
It's also resulted in, at times a limited menu that includes her famous potpies.
"I have several people who are not very happy about that. Our potpies are amazing," Golay said.
She's hopeful things will get better. Her goal is to get the empty spots filled by the summer rush and recruit part-time students who will be out for summer break thus giving her a much needed day off.
Mier said one of the ways the restaurant association is working to fill those worker shortages is through government.
Recently the organization sent one of its members to Washington DC to help lobby to pass new legislation called the 'Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act' to have extended visas for people to come and work in the U.S.
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