Twin Falls Idaho Faces the Crunch of a Worker Shortage

Where are we going to find workers?  A pair of new restaurants are ready to open near the Twin Falls Visitor Center.  They’ll need staff.  On Monday I went to lunch at a restaurant on Pole Line Road.  The place was packed and we had a 15-minute wait.  My friend had been to another restaurant the night before and waited 40 minutes.  Some of this is due to staffing shortages.  A new restaurant is opening on the west side of Blue Lakes Boulevard, on the corner opposite Sizzler.  The place had a large help wanted sign posted last week.

My friend told me at lunch she just hired a new assistant at 16 dollars an hour.  The new worker has no prior experience and appears eager to learn.  And yet, 16 dollars an hour may not be enough to retain the young woman.

Illegal Aliens to Fill the Jobs?

We’re going to begin hearing some loud voices among our local merchants.  Some will be softening views on people illegally crossing our southern border.  Because those people can fill vacancies.  When and if that happens, where are all the new people going to live?  Can 15 to 16 dollars an hour provide a family with a decent apartment in Twin Falls or around the Magic Valley?  Will they need rental assistance and what we used to call food stamps?  I’m not sure we’ve considered all of these questions.

The Cost of Dining is Skyrocketing

I had a turkey dinner with my lunch Monday.  The price is higher than what I remember from last year.  Inflation plus higher wages and higher taxes to cover an expansive welfare state…

How did we get here?