Hiring challenges are continuing to plague the hospitality industry amid a labor shortage, forcing many to pull out all the stops in an effort to attract new employees as customer demand ramps up once again, writes Laura Smythe for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

As part of these efforts, 31 King of Prussia restaurants and hotels participated in the Let’s Go KOP Hospitality Hiring Fair organized by King of Prussia District Tuesday.

“People are very exhausted and are looking for help and just anticipating that the volume is going to go up even more once indoor dining is at 100% capacity again,” said Rachel Ammon, King of Prussia District director of marketing and communications. “They’re really feeling that crunch right now to bring new people in with this labor shortage.”

King of Prussia District contributed $20,000 in bonuses for 65 people who were the first to accept positions in the participating businesses, including Valley Forge Casino Resort.

The casino also offered a $1,500 sign-on bonus to new hires for several hourly positions, such as dealers, security, cooks, and arcade cashiers. Existing employees who recruit a worker are also eligible for a $300 incentive.

Read more about the job fair and the local labor shortage in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

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