Help wanted

CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. - A hiring surge has been on the move throughout the state of New Mexico and Cibola County. This surge has been met with a lack of workers, making it very difficult for businesses to hire and operate in the ways that they would like.

The local favorite El Cafecito recently began closing an extra day because of this issue. For many years, the restaurant closed on Sundays and was open six days a week. Now, because of their inability to find cooks to hire, they are closing on Mondays too, according to owner Angela Baca. “My cooks are working doubles, and that’s why we’re closing Mondays now. For 35 years we’ve been open six days a week, and now we gotta close Mondays so everybody can have at least two days off in a row because we’re not getting any days off, period.”

Another favorite, La Ventana, has also been experiencing some of these same struggles. Nearly two weeks ago, the restaurant announced via Facebook that they would be switching to to-go orders only because of staffing complications. They asked the community to be patient since they are short on workers as well, and made it known that they are also hiring. This complication has since been resolved and La Ventana will be doing dine-in business, but the difficulties to find workers remain. “I mean, no one wants to apply. We’ve been trying to put out that we’re hiring for awhile now but no one, I mean a couple people come in and put in applications but not as many as we hope for,” said La Ventana manager Nicole Ku gler. “We can only take so many people when you’re short-staffed. It kind of sucks when you have to turn away people because you’re shortstaffed and you can’t handle that.”

Quality Inn & Suites manager Alyx B. also shared how difficult it has been to find workers and the effects it has had on business. “We’ve had to lower our room availability since we don’t have enough work ers…. It’s difficult. I really wish we had more workers. We’re even paying housekeepers above minimum wage as an incentive to work. It’s difficult. For example, I put out an ad for a personal housekeeper… I had twelve people ask about it, I set all twelve of them up for an interview, and not one of them showed up. So that’s how bad it is.”

Les Gaines of Stewart Brothers Drilling said he too has positions to fill and has not been able to hire anyone.

“I have had individuals ask me what the starting wage was, and I tell them, and they respond by saying they are making that much now on unemployment and benefits,” Gaines said.

Hardy Allen of Mt. Taylor Manufacturing said he has been looking to hire people for the past six weeks or so but has only received a handful of applications.

“The stimulus and increased benefits people are getting are keeping them at home,” Allen said. “Welcome to socialism. The government is getting the people to be dependent on them. There is no free money. Someone has to pay for this and it’s the small businesses that are flipping the bill. It’s a tough thing. We need to hire two to three people right away, but we have no applications to choose from.”

There are many other businesses throughout the community that have also been looking to hire throughout the past month or so. These include the businesses mentioned above, Aaron’s, Roc Welding LLC, Allsup’s on Roosevelt, Continental Divide Electric Cooperative, KOA Campground, Stewart Brothers Drilling, Mt. Taylor Manufacturing and several other businesses.