(Editor’s note: The Enterprise “Labor Gap” series has already chronicled Tri-Lakes employers’ struggles to fill positions. This article focuses on the western half of northern New York.)

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Watertown developer Brian Murray is struggling to find qualified workers to fill vacancies at his company, Washington Street Properties.

The real estate investor said he wants to hire two maintenance technicians, but fewer people have submitted applications for roles with his company than in previous years. Some who applied also lacked Murray’s desired qualifications, including technical knowledge, work ethic and punctuality.

Hours spent searching for and vetting candidates can be costly for the developer, who said it takes away time that could be spent toward managing his properties and client services. The strain becomes exacerbated when candidates fail to show up for interviews.

“It’s more of a challenge than it used to be,” Murray said. “I’m constantly surprised at how many people fail to show up for an interview.”

Several employers throughout the North Country have struggled to fill vacancies with qualified workers in recent years.

Restaurateur Christine Roach decided to sell Nu Pier in Sackets Harbor as she found it more difficult to find workers and keep up with the rising minimum wage.

Manufacturer EZ STAK of Watertown initially struggled to find its desired seven to 10 employees when it first opened, only hiring three between February and April.

Cheryl Mayforth, director of the Jefferson County Department of Employment & Training at the WorkPlace, said unemployment in the North Country has declined in recent years. Having a smaller labor pool has made it difficult to pitch part-time jobs with lower pay, fewer hours and no benefits to prospective candidates, Mayforth said, adding that some people might require two part-time jobs to afford the cost of living.

“We’re seeing a labor shortage that we’ve been talking about for quite some time,” she said.

Companies have also struggled to attract younger workers fresh out of high school or college who may pursue opportunities in other regions, said Greg Gardner, a professor of business at SUNY Potsdam. The North Country is behind other areas of the state and nation in wages.

The lack of applicants to fill jobs can also have economic consequences. To compensate for a smaller workforce, Gardner said some employers could turn to automation or relocate to another area to find more qualified, affordable labor.

“It has a ripple affect,” he said.

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Schools affected

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Academic institutions endure a teacher shortage that has lasted for years.

Stephen Todd, superintendent of Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, said the fear of not finding employment in education that was created during the 2008 economic recession has stayed with some college students, keeping applications low.

General Brown Central School and other North Country districts have spent months this year vying for people to fill teaching vacancies in many fields, particularly mathematics and the sciences, Todd said, noting several districts also need counselors, administrators and bus drivers.

Exhaustive searches for applicants can be costly for school districts in both time and resources, Todd said.

Some districts might be pressured to raise wages to remain competitive or hire people who are still working on obtaining their certification. Others have considered sharing teachers and hiring long-term substitutes.

“You don’t want to leave the classroom with no one,” he said.

The pool of potential teachers may increase as SUNY Potsdam and other colleges have more students pursuing teaching degrees this year, Todd said.

“Now we need some rational, bright, idealistic folks to say, ‘There are opportunities for me in education. There are good opportunities,'” he said.

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Health care needs

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The health care industry nationwide has also been hungry for more workers, with Samaritan Health in Watertown looking to fill about 300 vacancies between its hospital, Samaritan Medical Center, assisted living facility, clinics and other facilities.

Samaritan hosted a career fair Wednesday to recruit possible candidates for its registered nurse, certified nurse assistant, licensed nurse practitioner and other positions.

Manager of Recruiting Michael Britt said Samaritan always has vacancies, particularly when employees with spouses stationed at Fort Drum are relocated. Several nursing schools also have fewer instructors to train prospective healthcare professionals.

“It’s a very competitive market today,” Britt said. “There is a nursing shortage nationwide,”

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Some unqualified

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Some employers also receive applications from prospective workers that don’t meet their desired qualifications.

Gardner said the region still suffers from a shortage of college graduates with desirable skills in problem solving, mathematics and finance. Some applicants also lack the desired technical knowledge to operate more advanced equipment in some sectors, Mayforth said.

Britt said recruiting medical technologists has been difficult for hospitals because few institutions offer four-year degrees in the field.

Finding applicants with 4,000 hours of construction experience has also been difficult for the Local 1822 chapter of the Laborers’ International Union of North America this year, chapter President Scott Hilyard said. The union has received more work than in previous years, prompting it to search for more laborers, Hilyard said.

“Sometimes, it’s a little difficult finding younger groups to do the work that we do,” he said.

North Country employers have raised their promotion efforts through events like career jams. They’ve also searched for other tactics to increase their workforce and employee retention.

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Wages rise

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Murray said he increased his wages in recent years, while Hilyard said the labor union offers an apprenticeship program to grow its workforce.

Communication and Public Relations Director Krista Kittle said Samaritan offers training programs for some entry-level positions, competitive pay and benefits and tuition reimbursement for registered nurses, certified nurse assistants and other positions to stay competitive.

“That’s really about making sure employees feel appreciated and rewarded for what they do,” she said.

Gardner recommended that employers raise wages, expand benefits or offer more flexible work hours whenever they struggle to find appropriate applicants. Prospective applicants, particularly younger ones, also seek opportunities for advancement, he said.

“Most employers I know always complain about not getting the people they want,” Gardner said. “An easy way to fix that is to offer them more money.”