Ski season on slippery slope amid labor, housing shortage
Aspen Skiing Company asks locals to house employees for resort perks due to strained supply
Aspen Skiing Company vice president of communications Jeff Hanle explains how it’s a ‘bigger problem’ than ever to hire employees.
Although the Aspen Skiing Company in Colorado received a record number of applications this season, an ongoing labor and housing shortage could keep the resort from meeting consumer demand.
"There's no housing in our community, in any of these resort communities right now," vice president of communications Jeff Hanle told FOX Business’ Ashley Webster. "So there's been a real shift in dynamics."
On "Varney & Co." Wednesday, Hanle said post-pandemic travel and a migration of remote workers has left the resort 500 living units short for its employees, reaching what he calls "crisis level."
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"It's always been a problem, but it's a bigger problem now because of remote workers moving here, because of Airbnbs and those types of things," Hanle explained.
In an effort to meet increased demand and keep and attract more workers, Hanle said the resort raised wages for both existing employees and new hires.
"We've bumped our starting pay up to $17 an hour to start, and then that rippled through the company," he said. "But that's still not enough."
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Now, they’re offering incentives to Aspen locals who open their doors and house one of their employees.
FOX Business’ Ashley Webster visits Aspen Skiing Company to discuss how an hourly-worker shortage is impacting the business.
"We'll give you something of $1,200 value to use in our company," Hanle explained, "a season pass, 10 lift tickets, $1,200 at one of our hotels or one of our restaurants."