Santa Claus Disappearance Case... US Labor Shortage and COVID-19 Impact

Mass Resignations Due to COVID Risks
Now High Demand but Severe Supply Shortage
Recruiting All Age Groups Beyond Previous 50+ Limit

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] As the Christmas season approaches, Santa Claus suppliers in the United States are facing increasing difficulties. With the transition to the COVID-19 endemic era, the number of people seeking Santas has surged, but the companies themselves are struggling with a shortage of Santa personnel.

According to NBC on the 2nd (local time), Hire Santa, a Santa staffing company, announced that the demand for Santas in the U.S. this year is more than 30% higher than last year's record high. Compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, this represents an increase of over 125%.

This is attributed to the normalization of in-person Santa events this year, which had shifted online during the two years of the pandemic. The Chicago Sun-Times analyzed, "With a compensatory mindset for what was lost during the pandemic and the increase in newly opened winter festivals, more people are seeking Santas."

The problem is that the supply of Santas is severely insufficient. The company began to suffer from a shortage of Santas in earnest starting last year. At that time, many people quit Santa jobs due to concerns about COVID-19 infection risks. As a so-called Santa shortage spread across the U.S., the company expanded the eligible age range for Santas from the previous 50 years and older to all ages and actively recruited applicants.

However, it was not enough. CEO Allen explained, "The nationwide shortage of Santas reaches about 2,250," and said that Santas are busy managing demanding schedules. He added, "Weekend Santa bookings are already fully reserved," and "Some people who failed to book this year have already started reserving Santas for next year."

Kit Strass, who runs another Santa staffing company in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago, also said, "When demand is high, even I, the owner, sometimes work as a Santa, but this year requests have increased by more than 40%," and lamented, "Even when scheduling one Santa to move between 3 to 4 locations every 2 to 6 hours and working at full capacity, it is still not enough to meet the demand."