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Two factors have restaurant owners worried in Oregon: young workers are not likely to stick with restaurant work, making them unreliable hires; and the government continues to crack down on those who hire illegal workers. 

Although experience isn’t necessary, Richards says most applicants have some. A revolving door could become costly.

“Training becomes an issue when you have to repeatedly train a new employee,” he says. “With the slowdown in the economy, the last thing you want to do is spend time training somebody.”

While chasing after younger workers can create headaches, the matter of foreign workers could have ramifications.

Portland attorney Rich Meneghello, who advises ORA members, says the Federal government is gearing up for another run at cracking down on illegal immigrants via mismatched Social Security numbers. Agriculture, hospitality and construction are the primary parts of the mismatched numbers, where the government indicates workers are possibly supplying employers with phony Social Security numbers.

The government announced 3,104 Oregon employers had employees with mismatched numbers last October.

With all the zeal surrounding immigration issues, it will be interesting to see how employers in various industries respond to the shortage of workers caused by increasingly strict policies designed to flush out illegal workers.

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