As the nationwide employee shortage continues, Michigan State Parks are also feeling the pinch.
Park officials said they’ve been able to hire only about 60-percent of the 1,300 to 1,500 workers needed
The state is unable to keep up with incentives of tuition credit and signing bonuses offered by private businesses.
Ron Olson, the chief of parks and recreation for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, who is a supporter of WCMU. He said pay rates are also a factor in the state’s worker shortage.
“At a sandwich shop up near the Gaylord area, they're paying $16 an hour," Olson said. "We start people at $10, then it goes up to $11. And then $ 11.60. So, if somebody's chasing the money we are, you know, behind in our pay rates.”
Olson said for people who don’t want to spend their days inside a sandwich shop, state parks do offer the incentive of working outdoors. In previous years, most appicants for the parks positions were coege students and those interested in natural resources careers.
"In the more recent years, we've had an emergence of people that are retired, that are looking for a summer job and like to work outside," Olson said. "Last year the parks saw a decrease in those employees due to the risk of COVID-19 and working in public areas.”
Olson said some parks are even hiring 16 and 17 year olds and getting by without not allowing them to drive equipment.
There have been challenges hiring employees in the Gaylord, Mackinaw City and Cheboygan areas, among others, olson said.
“We've had some challenges up in the Upper Peninsula and near the Muskallonge area, a few spots up in that territory," Olsen said. "Then in some areas even in the Upper Peninsula we've been able to fill out jobs, so it's scattered. A lot of it has to do with where you have a lot of demands for tourism based operations that require summer staffing."
Olson said openings are scattered among many different jobs and parks across the state. He said there’s no real pattern to it. He said anyone is interested in a job at a state park, they should reach out in their area.
This report was produced as part of the Michigan News Group. A collaboration between WCMU and eight community newspapers. Courtney is based with the Leelanau Enterprise.