Uncertainty lingers amongst native tourism companies dealing with lack of labor pressure

BLACK HILLS, SD – It’s becoming a growing problem for Black Hills businesses, especially when tourists get off.

“We can’t find anyone looking for a job,” said Harley Kirwan, the owner of the Gunslinger Saloon in Deadwood.

The tourism season is already here in the Black Hills.

But even when the tourists arrive, many local businesses struggle to fill their ranks.

“It really is our number one by far,” said Jim Hagen, the South Dakota state’s tourism minister. “We don’t have enough work.”

State officials who help business seek answers in every possible way.

“We spent a lot of time talking to tourism company owners, members of the tourism association and CVB directors. What can we do? ”Said Hagen.

NewsCenter1 spoke to nearly a dozen companies in the Spearfish, Sturgis and Deadwood communities where traders are looking for help due to the workforce problem.

Entrepreneurs like Harley Kirwan, who owns stores in Deadwood and Wall, are raising wages and doing their best to think outside the box.

“This year we bought homes in Deadwood and Wall to provide housing for employees,” said Kirwan.

A lot of the companies we spoke to said even though people apply, they don’t even come for interviews.

“I had a twelve o’clock, one o’clock, two o’clock, three o’clock the other day and no one showed up,” said Kirwan.

Even the opportunity to go to job fairs, where companies should find workers, is not yet an option during the pandemic.

“These are all brand new things that we have never tried,” said Kirwan. “We always go to job fairs in Rapid City and Spearfish College and just don’t have that ability with COVID.”

A situation that puts tourism companies in a difficult position just before their busiest time of the season.