Looks Like Maine Is Having An Employee Shortage

Over the weekend, I was in southern Maine playing a show and hanging out with friends. We went to get breakfast, and one of the places we went to go to was closed. And not because they went out of business, but because they couldn't find anyone to work. They just simply don't have enough staff to stay running.

And then, I saw this ad off of Craigslist making the rounds on social media, that while it's pretty funny, says a lot about what's going on around the state the last couple years. Check it out:

Long standing restaurant seeking kitchen help (Portland)

Looking for top dollar with minimum effort? You tired of showing up on time for work? Does the grind of 20-25 hrs a week get you down?
Looking for highly motivated people who can handle a fast paced culture of smoke breaks every 30 minutes or so. Great gig for the right person. We offer health, dental and 401k benefits. Unlimited vacations and time off available. Experience a must. If this sounds like something you'd might be remotely interested in, let's email back and forth and set up a time for an in person interview and not show up.
Resume and references a plus.

Like I said, while this is hilarious, it's also kind of weird. There are businesses on the verge of closing, not because there are no customers, but because there's no one to run the show. With minimum wage going up, and the economy currently booming, it's 100% a job-seeker's market. In some ways, it's a good problem to have.

But on the other hand, the balance is pretty offset if you're trying to maintain a business. I've talked to business owners here in the Bangor area that say the same thing. They will schedule interviews that people just ghost on. Or if they do get back to you, they've accepted another job that suits them better before they've even found out anything about your business. It's crazy!

Remember back in the recession, and it was the other way around? Hopefully we don't go back to that. But that doesn't mean simple etiquette should go out the window. At any rate, live high on the hog while we can.

Someday, the job market may not be so forgiving, and Bangor is a small town. It would be terrible if someone remembered you blew off an interview at a time when you may really need that job. But, enjoy the brisk options while you can. Good things never last forever.