MGM Resorts on the Hunt for Thousands of Employees

MGM Resorts International needs 3,000 employees in Las Vegas and is having a difficult time finding enough people for available positions.

MGM Resorts International has a ton of job openings in Las Vegas. The company is currently seeking 3,000 individuals to work in various positions and oftentimes offering applicants a position on the spot. The company recently hosted a job fair for four days in the hopes of finding enough help. The job fair did not require an appointment and in-person interviews were taking place on the spot. Positions available include security officers, beverage workers, cooks, servers, and many other positions. Employees will go to work at Park MGM, Excalibur, and Mirage among other properties.

Hesitate to Work

Right now, in the city of Las Vegas, there is a hesitancy when it comes to working at casinos. Those in need of employment are not sure how they feel about working in a venue where the need for social interaction is so prevalent, especially during the increase in the COVID-19 positivity rates.

Casino operators throughout Las Vegas are finding it difficult to hire people for certain positions due to fear of contracting the virus. People do not want to work in an area where they will be around a lot of people.

Because the job pool is so small, casinos are having to step up their game as to what they are offering potential employees. Applicants are being selective, and many people are trying to find jobs where they can work from home or options that provide some type of day care solution. The pandemic has really changed how people want to work and it is negatively affecting the casinos’ ability to find employees.

High Jobless Rate

Currently in the metropolitan area of Las Vegas, the region is experiencing the highest jobless rate in the United States. There are 51 metro areas in the nation, regions that have one million people or more. Of these areas, Las Vegas has the highest rate of 9.5%.

Many people have taken to receiving unemployment and are earning more than normal due to government assistance. The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation will stop in early September, so this may help casinos be able to find more people for any positions that remain unfilled.

But as the number of COVID-19 cases increase in Las Vegas and restrictions among employers are in place, the casinos may be plain out of luck. Positive case counts are on the rise. This is one main reason that people do not want to work at casinos as they are filled with unmasked patrons.

Then, you have the regulations within the casinos themselves. Some are requiring employees to vaccinate or pay for testing. This requirement does not sit well with potential employees. Masks are also now required and for those who don’t want to be in a mask for a full day shift, they will look for other job positions in other fields.

Other states are also having hiring issues. The Encore Boston Harbor, a Wynn Resorts venue, has also spoken out about having a difficult time hiring employees. The potential employee pool may continue to be an issue as long as the pandemic weighs heavily on the mind of the unemployed.

Casinos are hopeful that even though the pandemic is kicking back up again, they will not have to shutdown like they did before. Many employees that were laid off at the time of the shutdown found work elsewhere so that they could continue to bring in a paycheck. Employers were unable to call these members back to work, which resulted in a shortage of employees in general once properties were allowed to open at 100%.

It will be interesting to see if the casinos in Las Vegas will be able to hire enough new workers and just how quickly the positions can be filled.