For hire: We applied to 25 jobs. Here's what we saw. - The News Leader

STAUNTON — Hiring signs are still in nearly every business window. Hours at restaurants and fast food places are limited or infrequent.

The question is why?

The jobs are there, but people aren’t applying. The jobs that are out there aren’t paying enough for people to live on, according to an analysis from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

An article by Statista said the minimum wage does even begin to cover normal living expenses in any state of the entire country, but Virginia, Hawaii and Georgia, where the living wage gap exceeded $8 per hour, were the worst.

Virginia’s minimum wage is $9.50 per hour.

There’s a large gap between minimum wage and the living wage.

What is the living wage? It’s the hourly rate that an individual in a household must earn to support his or herself and their family, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said.

According to the International Labor Rights Forum, a living wage provides for basic needs, like food, shelter, clothing and healthcare, along with education, childcare and transportation.

The calculator by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology assumes the sole provider is working full-time and provides information for individuals, and households with one or two working adults and zero to three children. In the case of households with two working adults, all values are per working adult, single or in a family unless otherwise noted.

Dr. David Huffman, associate professor of economics at Bridgewater College said even though unemployment in our area is 2.5%, which is back to pre-pandemic percentages, it’s a sellers market and the employees are the sellers.

“It’s a labor supply issue, basically you just don’t have the workers keeping up with the growing demand,” he said. “It is tending to reduce some of that wage disparity there. If you do want to go out to work, you can go out and work at those higher wages.”

Wages are increasing — the hospitality industry wages are up 7.2% since last September, Huffman said.

But it’s a supply and demand issue. People are demanding more restaurant meals, so there’s a need for more restaurant workers. Many of those who were in the hospitality industry were either laid off or didn’t return to work, instead finding another career path, Huffman said.

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Here’s a breakdown from that calculator:

One adult, no children

Living wage — $15.32Required income before annual taxes — $31,670

One adult, one child

Living wage — $29.91Required income before annual taxes — $62,216

Two adults both working, no children

Living wage — $11.42Required income before annual taxes — $47,593

Two adults, both working, one child

Living wage — $16.53Required income before annual taxes — $59,074

We took it upon ourselves to see what the job market looks like in the Staunton area. I made my own Indeed profile, linked up to my News Leader email. I didn’t attach a resume, though. I just put in sparse details of me working for the News Leader since 2012 and my contact information.

Here are the parameters:

Search Indeed.com for a day — split up throughout the day totaling around 5 hours. Apply to any job on there to see how long it takes for the employer to return your inquiry. See how much each job pays and what benefits are offered

Here’s what we sent to each job we applied to in the interview section or cover letter section on Indeed:

“I’m a reporter with the News Leader in Staunton, Virginia. I’m looking to do a story on the job availability in the area and how fast employers contact those who apply. I’d love to hear back from you all. Thanks!”

Day one I sent out requests to 25 jobs. Requests were sent out April 4 and I gave the employers until Friday, April 8 to get back to me. I heard from five employers by the timeline.

Here’s where I applied:

1. Linebar operator assistant

R.A. Yancey Lumber Corp in Crozet$13 to $16 an hour full-time with 10-hour shiftsHealth and dental insurance, paid time off, opportunities to advance, referral programSawmill runningDid not hear back in the time period.

2. Line cook

Restoration Restaurant in Crozet$15 to 18 an hourDid not hear back in the time period.

3. Grill cook/line cook

Wright’s Dairy Rite in Staunton$14 to $16 an hour part-time and full-timeHealth and dental insuranceHeard from the owner one day after applying to come in and discuss staffing issues with his restaurant. So, he must have read my note in my application.

4. Dishwasher/ prep cook

Buffalo Wild Wings in Waynesboro$14 to $16 an hour part-timeDid not hear back in the time period.

5. Cook

James Madison University Dining Service in Harrisonburg$14.65 an hour full-timeHealth, vision and dental insurance, 401K, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, life insuranceDid not hear back in the time period.

6. Evening manager

Wright’s Dairy Rite in Staunton$40,000 to $50,000 full-timeHealth and dental insurance, paid time off, employee discountHeard from the owner one day after applying to come in and discuss staffing issues with his restaurant. So, he must have read my note in my application.

7. Sous chef

James Madison University Dining Service in HarrisonburgFrom $22.50 an hour full-timeHealth, vision and dental insurance, 401K, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, life insuranceDid not hear back in the time period.

8. Dishwasher/prep cook

Veritas Vineyards and Winery in Afton$18 to $20 an hour full-timeHealth insurance, 401K, paid time offHeard back one day after applying. Received a phone call and a voicemail. Called back and spoke with an employee that let me know that 50% of people showed up for interviews and the other 50% didn’t call or show up, no word whatsoever. Those who came into the interview, half of those they never heard from. He said that no one really wants to drive that far to Veritas and didn’t know the actual distance or location

9. General manager

Dairy Queen in Stuarts Draft$45,000 a year full-timePaid training, 401K, health insurance, employee discount, paid time off, opportunities for advancementDid not hear back in the time period.

10. Cook

Stuarts Draft Retirement Community in Waynesboro$12 an hour part-timeHealth insurance, 401K, paid sick timeDid not hear back in the time period.

11. Part-time commercial cleaner

H&R Contractors in Staunton$12 to $15 an hour part-timeHealth, dental and vision insurance, paid time offHeard back same day as application that they would not want to move forward with the application.

12. Grill cook/prep cook

Vic’s in Staunton$17 to $20 an hour full and part-timeFlexible scheduleDid not hear back in the time period.

13. Line cook

CrossKeys Vineyards in Mount Crawford$15 to $18 an hour full-timeDid not hear back in the time period.

14. Plant production worker

Perdue Farms in Bridgewater$16 to $17 an hour full-timeHealth, vision, dental insurance, 401K, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, life insurance, employee discountDid not hear back in the time period.

15. Assistant manager

McAlister’s Deli in WaynesboroFrom $38,500 a year full-timeHealth, vision and dental insurance, 401K, life insurance, employee discount, paid time offDid not hear back in the time period.

16. Line cooks

Applebee’s in Staunton$11 to $15 an hour full and part-timeHealth and vision insurance, 401K, employee discount, flexible scheduleGot back to me by the end of the day. Called me on the phone. The manager on the phone said they had several people apply for the line cook job, but they are having trouble getting people to answer their requests to come in for interviews.

17. Assistant restaurant manager

Five Guys in Waynesboro$42,000 to $45,000 full-timeHealth, vision and dental insurance, 401K, employee assistance program, parental leaveQuarterly Bonus $400/ yearly $1,600.00$100/month to spend on a mobile device and data planDid not hear back in the time period.

18. Breakfast bistro attendant

The Blackburn Inn and Conference Center in StauntonFrom $14 an hour full and part-timeHealth, vision and dental insurance, paid time off, employee discountDid not hear back in the time period.

19. Assistant manager

James Madison University Dining Service in HarrisonburgFrom $18.50 an hour full-timeHealth, vision and dental insurance, 401K, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, life insuranceDid not hear back in the time period.

Some takeaways from applying

I found there are a lot of different type of tests that some employers require — either different skills requirements, but others had to deal with how well you work with other people, essentially a work style test.

The majority of these jobs on Indeed — which ranged from different levels of restaurant work to factory or warehouse jobs — didn’t meet the average living wage requirement.

A lot of the jobs, especially the restaurant ones, required several years experience.

The majority of the job postings had some sort of benefits listing, especially health insurance.

The following day, after I sent in applications, I received emails from Indeed to send messages to employers to “stand out.”

Most employers saw my “note” regarding I work for the News Leader and this was for a story, but still wondered if I wanted the part-time work.

Laura Peters is the trending topics reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Or a good feature? You can reach reporter Laura Peters (she/her) at lpeters@newsleader.com. Follow her @peterslaura. Subscribe to The News Leader at newsleader.com.