COVER STORY
Where Have All the Workers Gone? Frustrated Shops Go Short - Handed as Labor Pool Drains Good help is truly hard to find – but New Jersey shops can’t even seem to find any help at all. Shop owners all around the state are shouting, “We’re Hiring” and “Help Wanted,” but much to their dismay, no one seems to be listening. On those rare occasions where someone does respond to their calls for a variety of open positions (front desk coordinator, experienced body technician, painter, prep person, you name it), the candidates often aren’t serious about taking on the task. Attracting new people to the industry has already been a challenge, and now it appears the pandemic has left the industry stricken with even more pain when it comes to hiring. “I’m hearing from frustrated shops every day,” AASP/ NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant shares. “I’ve heard everything you can imagine, including, ‘We haven’t been able to get anyone since COVID-19.’ They just can’t find anyone to work.” Many shops went into the pandemic already shorthanded, while others had to lay people off last year due to drained finances. Today, those shops remain down in staffing. “Some shops laid people off and can’t even get them to come back,” Bryant adds.
26 | New Jersey Automotive | September 2021
The association has been helping by posting members’ job openings on its social media pages while also looking at whatever resources it can. Even the AASP/NJ Labor Pool is tapped out, with Bryant saying that he has “looked everywhere in the world to find people.” Veteran shop owner and AASP/MA Treasurer Tom Elder (Compact Kars; Clarksburg) has good business coming in but is down too many employees to easily keep up. He’s getting the word out through vendors and manufacturers, Facebook, Monster and Indeed but getting absolutely nowhere. In fact, he says Monster and Indeed could be scams when it comes to being employment resources, as the companies keep sending along the same few people. He’s reached out to the suggested folks, but they don’t respond or just aren’t qualified. “No applicants are coming in, and anybody who does apply is not qualified. It’s hard to find an experienced A-tech.” In addition to needing an experienced tech, Elder could use the right people to fill a number of other positions, including detailer, painter, prep person estimator and additional mechanic. The shortage isn’t necessarily new, as Elder has been down at least one person for over two years now. He knows
