Nov. 6—Businesses have been struggling to fill staffing positions since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and while unemployment rates are low, more job openings remain than some companies want to see.
Those who work in employment agencies say there are still plenty of jobs available around St. Joseph, and while some want a work-from-home role, those positions are not as available as people believe.
David Wegenka, managing partner at IMKO Workforce Solutions said he believes being in an actual office setting can be more beneficial for some employees and companies.
"I know that most executives and managers are very adamant about working in the office to manage," Wegenka said. "And, you know, I know a few individuals that do work at home and most of them miss that office environment. And it's hard to get a promotion if you're working at home because you're not part of that office environment. It's the old adage, be seen in the office and share your opinion and learn how to work well with others."
A report from Apollo Technical said 77% of those who work remotely at least a few times per month show increased productivity.
Casey Huskey, a business developer for Express Employment Professionals, said he's seen a steady number of people asking for work-from-home roles, and while it's not necessarily something they specialize in, they try their hardest to meet this need.
"We have had some ... people that don't think that we offer that, so they don't even think to ask, but we do allow work from home," Husky said. "If I got a specific client that that's what they're kind of looking for, it's something that we can work with. There are a lot of companies that did remote work when the pandemic started, and for some it didn't work out so well and some just kind of stayed with that. But at the end of the day, we kind of cater to whatever it is that works for our clients."
Kathleen Woods, a St. Joseph resident who's going to dental school, said even though many places say they're hiring, finding a job has not been an easy task.
"It's been pretty difficult. I haven't had a job for like three weeks and I've applied to maybe like six or seven jobs," Woods said. "A lot of them are seasonal right now, so it's harder to find something worthwhile that can actually make a substantial amount of money. And you see all those 'now hiring' signs everywhere but it just seems like you never get a call back from anybody."