SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — “Now Hiring” signs can be seen up and down Marshall Street near Syracuse University as local businesses struggle to fill job openings before classes start this fall. The first day of the 2021-2022 academic year is Aug. 30, just three weeks away. Restaurants and shops alike are trying to prepare for an increased workload during their most profitable time of the year.
Varsity Pizza, at the intersection of Marshall Street and Crouse Avenue, has been a campus staple since 1926 and has three signs posted on its entrance to recruit potential new employees. Varsity offers shorter hours during the summer, partially due to COVID-19 but also because students aren’t on campus, but will return to its normal hours in the coming weeks. With school right around the corner, Assistant Manager Eric Ockert says he’s struggling to find and hire the people he needs. “Once we expand our hours, we need to have people to work those extra hours and we need to get them trained before that happens, so we’re kind of scrambling to fill open spaces right now.”
Ockert says Varsity is looking to hire around four or five new employees, from full-time cooks to part-time table bussers. Until those positions are filled, Ockert believes several current staff members will have to work overtime.
A few doors down on Marshall Street, CPR Cell Phone Repair is also gearing up for an increased workload while looking to hire new staff. Sales and Repair Tech Ethan Hensley says in addition to finding people who want to work in general, it’s especially difficult to find employees with the unique skill set required for a job at CPR. Though Hensley isn’t worried about the volume of work now, he says that when students return, it could become overwhelming. “When the kids are here, it’s a lot harder, a lot more work. In the summer, you see about eight to ten clients a day. When the kids are here, it’s 25 plus.”
Like Varsity, CPR is looking to hire around two more employees before school begins. Both stores earn most of their yearly revenue during the academic school year, which makes filling the open positions even more pressing.
