Labor Shortage Sinking Summer Fun
Image: 1950s era postcard from Dunbar Cave & Recreation Park in Clarksville, Tennessee
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
The current worker shortage across the country seems to be putting a damper on summer activities in Tennessee as well, with some communities finding themselves without enough lifeguards to adequately staff their public pools.
In the past, lifeguarding was a popular job for teens and college students looking to make some extra money in the summer. However, fewer people are turning up to apply for open positions.
Those familiar with this particular labor sector say low wages, cost of training, and limited hours make this a less desirable job right now. Unfortunately, this is creating a problem for communities because lifeguards, along with other positions such as cashiers and managers, are a necessity to keep public pools running.
In Clarksville, approximately 100 people are hired in these positions, according to Clarksville Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Letourneau. This year, they were only able to find about 70 individuals, leaving them forced to cut the opening hours of several pools.
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“We’re definitely feeling it. We’re not that unusual from the rest of the nation, although I guess you could say we’re faring a little better than some cities that aren’t able to open any pools,” Letourneau said.
Letourneau says they are only able to have two of their four pools open at any given time due to staffing issues. They are short those workers even after raising starting pay for lifeguards to $13 per hour. If workers receive additional training, they are given raises.
“You do have to have a certain skill set to be a lifeguard, and meet the requirements of Red Cross training, but we can work with our lifeguards to help them meet those training requirements,” she stated.
They have also had to become more flexible with hours, allowing staff to take off more frequently than in the past.
According to the American Lifeguard Association, nearly 300,000 pools across the country have been forced to cut hours or remain closed completely due to the shortage of available lifeguards.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
