PORTLAND, Maine — You’ve probably heard about employers in Maine who are finding it extremely difficult to hire workers as summer approaches and the economy picks up speed. The problem isn’t confined to towns near the coast, where hiring enough staff has been challenging for years.
“It’s not the demand [for workers], it’s the supply. You just can’t find them,” says Dana Connors, the president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. “I spoke to a friend in Caribou who said, ‘Dana, I would add fifteen more people to my business if I could only find them. I can’t find them.’ “
North, south, east, west, it’s the same situation no matter where you go in Maine. Employers, especially in the hospitality industry, are all but begging for workers—and they just can’t get enough. “I am hearing that consistently throughout the state,” Connors says, “by any business, all types of businesses.”
We checked in with Connors because he talks to people in the public and private sectors all over Maine and has a pretty good feel for how the economy in performing. Right now, he says, despite the hiring challenges, it’s humming along. “We’re not quite sure what the new normal will be, but I’ve got to tell you there’s a lot of reasons to feel good about where we are.”