WANTED The forecast for the summer hiring season is partly sunny

BY WOOD RIVER WEEKLY STAFF

They are as ubiquitous as the spring wildflowers (finally) popping up all over the Wood River Valley: signs in local business windows broadcasting “Help Wanted,” “Join the Team,” and “Now Hiring.” Despite the changeable spring weather, summer is coming and it’s coming fast. And Sun Valley summers mean thousands of visitors looking for places to eat, shop and recreate. Summers mean a boon in construction, roadwork and landscaping. Local businesses are gearing up for what promises to be a busy, and challenging, season. From nonprofits to coffee shops, outfitters to hotels, the push is on to fill jobs.

According to Harry Griffith, executive director for Sun Valley Economic Development, the employment landscape has certainly changed in the past few years when businesses struggled to respond to the changes the response to Covid-19 brought to the Valley, but it is normalizing. “The workforce participation rate has climbed from low of immediate post-Covid from about 62 or 63 percent, to presently around 66 percent,” Griffith said. “A more historical number is 68 percent. During the pandemic, people dropped out of the workforce and haven’t felt the need to rejoin it.”

Although the Wood River Valley has experienced a large influx of residents in recent years, Griffith said, “A lot of our population increase is retirees, not workforce participants. During the pandemic, about 1,500 new people came into town. The bulk of those new residents are over 61 years old and have got an adjusted gross income of more than $300,000. They are most likely not joining the workforce in a meaningful way. Conversely, we also lost people during this time. According to data from the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Valley has lost 600 driver’s license registrants. The IRS adjusted gross income of the people leaving is $85,000 a year. That is a big loss of people in the workforce.”

However, with a look ahead, Griffith cites that summer 2023 should be the first ‘normal’ summer we have had in a while, down from the record number of visitors and residents reported in the past two years. This, in addition to the fact that many local businesses have already shown tremendous adaptability and resiliency in response to staffing shortages and greater demand, should make the summer season smoother. He explained, “Over the past few years, many businesses adjusted to manage fewer employees. Restaurants may have cut back on hours, closed certain days, or will be offering smaller menus. We haven’t heard much about people not getting enough lifeguards or camp counselors and that may be because many organizations have limited access to their programs.” Unlike in the past, people who want to sign up for summer programs or activities probably won’t be able to do it last minute. In many cases, expectations for difficult staffing are now ‘baked in’ to the local economy and adjustments have been made.

A View from Local Businesses

Terry Ring, owner of Ketchum’s Silver Creek Outfitters, agreed that local businesses have had to remain nimble during the tumultuous past two years. “We are finally getting back to a cadence of the pre-Covid years with normal vacation schedules, planned reunions, weddings, and business meetings,” he said. “And people have definitely adjusted to the new reality here. Going into summer, it’s an optimistic time.” However, Ring added that some of the ways businesses are coping with changing demographics, the economy, and the Valley’s housing shortage shouldn’t alter the Sun Valley experience wherever possible. “I think, as a community, while we definitely need to keep up with demand and evolving conditions, we also all have to maintain the experience and continue to deliver on an exceptional customer service experience that differentiates us from everywhere else. Many changes have been out of necessity, but