The Recession Comes to Juneau
I listen to a wide smattering of NPR every day. Usually pieces of On Point, Talk of the Nation, Fresh Air, and All Things Considered.
Clearly, our nation is in crisis. At least, that's how it sounds on the radio.
Here in Juneau, things seem to be rolling along just the same, except my boss told me the other day that we'll probably be looking at a 5 to 10 percent decrease in passengers this season. Last summer, our division had our biggest year ever, despite the fact that we took over our main competitor which resulted in funky schedules and frustratingly low numbers on some of their undersold tours. So we're not that worried about slightly lower numbers. Obviously, we'll have to wait and see how it all plays out, but there is definitely no sense of panic in my workplace.
However, we have been seeing signs of the recession in our applicant pool. With only about 20 entry level positions to fill, we still have somewhere along the lines of A HUNDRED AND FIFTY applications to go through. This huge number is so overwhelming, that we've all decided that the people who call us up to follow through and schedule interviews are the folks who will actually be considered. I have been responsible for interviewing and hiring 12 positions that work on the cruise ship docks and are directly responsible of receiving and organizing our passengers as well as interacting with the cruise line sales representatives. Normally this is a team of young women either in, or just out of, college with maybe one retired woman. This year I interviewed about 9 people who had WAY too much experience for this job. People with extensive experience in the hospitality business and professional office administrators. It was surreal to be describing a job that sometimes goes to a 17 year old girl to these applicants who are in their mid-50s and have over 30 years of experience behind them.
It feels like Alaska is the last frontier of work.
Which could also be why I've seen so many more high school classmates in town. Normally, folks come back for Christmas or a bit of the summer, have a big hurrah at the bar, and then leave. This year, it seems like a lot more of these past Juneau-ites are sticking around. Naturally, we have the required:
"Oh my god! How ARE you?"
"Great! How are YOU?"
"I'm good! It's so weird to be back, huh? What have you been up to?"
And then I have to explain that it's not weird to be back because this is where I've made my home for the last three years and plan to continue to make my home for at least the next four.
It makes sense in a way, that it's the folks my age are the ones that are struggling. We're at a an age where we've only be out of college for a couple of years, so we're probably the entry-level or new-hire demographic that I've been hearing so much about on the radio for our high numbers of job loss.
Juneau recently has been having a big "brain-drain" scare since most kids who grow up here can not WAIT to get out. I'm wondering if maybe this recession is going to turn it into a "brain-gain" for us.
Clearly, our nation is in crisis. At least, that's how it sounds on the radio.
Here in Juneau, things seem to be rolling along just the same, except my boss told me the other day that we'll probably be looking at a 5 to 10 percent decrease in passengers this season. Last summer, our division had our biggest year ever, despite the fact that we took over our main competitor which resulted in funky schedules and frustratingly low numbers on some of their undersold tours. So we're not that worried about slightly lower numbers. Obviously, we'll have to wait and see how it all plays out, but there is definitely no sense of panic in my workplace.
However, we have been seeing signs of the recession in our applicant pool. With only about 20 entry level positions to fill, we still have somewhere along the lines of A HUNDRED AND FIFTY applications to go through. This huge number is so overwhelming, that we've all decided that the people who call us up to follow through and schedule interviews are the folks who will actually be considered. I have been responsible for interviewing and hiring 12 positions that work on the cruise ship docks and are directly responsible of receiving and organizing our passengers as well as interacting with the cruise line sales representatives. Normally this is a team of young women either in, or just out of, college with maybe one retired woman. This year I interviewed about 9 people who had WAY too much experience for this job. People with extensive experience in the hospitality business and professional office administrators. It was surreal to be describing a job that sometimes goes to a 17 year old girl to these applicants who are in their mid-50s and have over 30 years of experience behind them.
It feels like Alaska is the last frontier of work.
Which could also be why I've seen so many more high school classmates in town. Normally, folks come back for Christmas or a bit of the summer, have a big hurrah at the bar, and then leave. This year, it seems like a lot more of these past Juneau-ites are sticking around. Naturally, we have the required:
"Oh my god! How ARE you?"
"Great! How are YOU?"
"I'm good! It's so weird to be back, huh? What have you been up to?"
And then I have to explain that it's not weird to be back because this is where I've made my home for the last three years and plan to continue to make my home for at least the next four.
It makes sense in a way, that it's the folks my age are the ones that are struggling. We're at a an age where we've only be out of college for a couple of years, so we're probably the entry-level or new-hire demographic that I've been hearing so much about on the radio for our high numbers of job loss.
Juneau recently has been having a big "brain-drain" scare since most kids who grow up here can not WAIT to get out. I'm wondering if maybe this recession is going to turn it into a "brain-gain" for us.