Hiring Crisis In The Lehigh Valley Hits Local Business Hard

Charlotte Parsons | Writer

Vanessa McNally, a local salon owner, has struggled to find qualified people to hire since the beginning of the pandemic. The application shortage is still creating numerous problems, not only for her, but businesses nationwide.

Hopefully, this will soon change. According to Neema Ardebili, Vice President of Global Franchise & Strategic Partnerships at ADP, with unemployment benefits shutting down she expects to see a boost in job applications for every industry.

McNally has been posting job ads in places like Indeed.com, various social media sites, and at many beauty schools around the Lehigh Valley.

However, McNally’s salon is losing business. Without enough professional employees, her customers are inconvenienced since they can’t get the desired appointments. This causes them to then go to other salons. Therefore, her salon is losing money.

There is also fear in the hiring process. To McNally, she worries about applicants' gaps in their interpersonal and styling skills.

There is also a fear from the applicants’ side. McNally’s latest hire, who recently completed a cosmetology program, was fearful of “finding the right fit.”

McNally is optimistic about the end of the hiring crisis and said she’s hopeful it will end soon. She hopes there will be more qualified applicants who want to work at her salon.

This hiring crisis is no joke and, with fingers crossed, this will come to an end as soon as possible. If not, who knows what will happen to businesses like McNally’s.