Staffing agency struggles to fill jobs despite large demand for work

RJ staffing says there still aren’t many applicants looking for work despite federal pandemic unemployment benefits expiring two weeks ago.

News 12 Staff

Sep 16, 2021, 7:20 PM

Updated 1,197 days ago

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A Hudson Valley-based staffing agency says it is having a hard time finding people to fill jobs even though companies are hiring across nearly every industry.
RJ staffing says there still aren’t many applicants looking for work despite federal pandemic unemployment benefits expiring two weeks ago.
The climate is resulting in employers offering higher salaries, better benefits and more flexible schedules to attract workers.
“Right now, I have over 50 different companies that are actively looking for employees through me, but those individual companies, many of them are looking for five, 10 employees or more, so you're talking hundreds of jobs just in my system alone,” says Shane Rizzotti, the director of sales and permanent services at RJ Staffing.
Rizzotti thinks multiple factors are to blame, including that some people may have saved up their federal assistance, so there's no urgency to return to work. He also says some people may not want to get vaccinated, which is a new requirement that has been recently implemented by many companies.
RJ Staffing, which works out of Rockland County, encourages anyone looking for work to contact it through its website or by calling 845-624-0400.