Josh Auerhammer and Sara Penneman, line cooks at Sykes in Kalispell, keep going even after the lunch rush has ended. The diner has reduced its hours to 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., but they are still open seven days a week. (Brenda Ahearn photos/Daily Inter Lake)
September 22, 2019
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September 22, 2019 4 a.m.
Worst summer yet for seasonal staffing shortage
Summer 2019 was a great season for business, but a hard time for the businesses themselves. From Bigfork to Whitefish, employers confronted a workforce shortage more extreme than they had ever experienced before. Even as business boomed, many managers and owners resorted to cutting hours and services to meet the growing demand with shrinking staffs.