Summertime in Maine

With school ending, warm weather, and tourists around, Mainers know that we are in full summer mode. But what does that mean for the Maine employment market? President and Founder of ProSearch Ed McKersie shares his thoughts on the tight Maine employment market.

Maine’s economy is well on its way to re-opening, and the tourism industry is optimistic that 2021 will see a solid rebound in demand from visitors from outside Maine as well as those of us who enjoy a staycation during the summer months.

I am involved in a few different efforts to attract and retain seasonal workers for the hospitality industry, and the issues these business are dealing with are being felt by our clients in every industry in Maine. Pre-COVID, our employment market was tight, with many opportunities going unfilled. With the concerns and personal/family disruptions due to COVID, I believe we are in for a few challenging quarters. Many people who would normally be looking for work right now, are waiting for their own circumstances to stabilize before starting a job search; making a tight employment market even more difficult for employers.

Due to continued client demand, we have expanded our team and added even more tools to identify, attract, and evaluate passive and active job seekers. While working in a hybrid in-office/remote capacity, we have found by offering job seekers the option of interviewing remotely, more people are beginning to re-enter the job market. In normal times, the summer months tend to be a bit slower in our business, but with the growing demand for talent, we are encouraging job seekers to engage with us now, even if they don’t want to start a new job until after Labor Day. By discussing temporary/contract or career opportunities with our team now, these folds are getting ahead of what we believe will be an increase in job seeker activity this fall. If you’re a job seeker and want to get ahead of the competition, update your resume with us here.

As always, we value the trust so may Maine employers and job seekers have placed in us during an unprecedented time. Here’s to a great season for our hospitality industry and for a continued robust employment market for all Mainers.