Left-right Grace Rivera and Gabby Valencia prepare candy baskets for shipping at River Street Sweets. Rivera and Valencia are among the many temporary workers that River Street Sweets relies on to help them through the holiday season. The holiday shopping season officially kicks off the day after Thanksgiving, and retailers began in October to beef up their work forces in preparation for a busy season. This time of year gives some people who have not been in the work force a chance to gain valuable work experience. For those who have been on the sidelines, it's a good time to get in the game.
Available workers continue to shrink in part because the state's job total is growing.
The state saw 10,800 new jobs created in October alone, making a total of 4.02 million jobs across Georgia. Locally, the situation is equally rosy. But he's not complaining. It's not the worst situation. Offering such things as hiring bonuses to new employees as well as to existing workers who recruit for your company will help draw and retain workers.