Top > Business > 2005 > October > 2005-10-17

Business Owners Try to Stay Open

A recent report from the U.S. Dept. of Labor numbers at least 35,000 lost jobs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in Gulf Coast states, raising the jobless rate to 5.1 percent from 4.9 percent. At the same time, however, businesses reopening after Katrina are scrambling to fill positions to effectively provide service to their customers.

The increasing amount of "Now Hiring" signs in storefront windows proves reopened businesses have a surplus of jobs and not enough workers to fill them. New Orleans hotels are reportedly offering maid service just once a week due to staff shortages. Fast-food restaurants have only enough workers to operate drive-through windows.

Burger King, which first reopened its New Orleans restaurants by busing in kitchen crews from Baton Rouge, is now offering $6,000 bonuses to hourly employees agreeing to work full-time for at least a year in the metropolitan area.