A mass labor shortage has left the privileged residents of the Hamptons fending for themselves.
The combination of soaring local rental prices, the ban on temporary work visas and the fact that many hospitality workers are not keen to rush back to their grueling, low paid jobs after generous Covid-19 boosted unemployment, has left many Hamptonites without paid help for the first time.
Some wealthy residents have even been forced to do the unthinkable; mow their own lawns or wash their own laundry.
'I had to buy a lawn mower and cut my own lawn. I wanted flowers planted behind the pool,' one resident posted on the neighborhood app Nextdoor. 'The landscaper didn't show up. I had to do it myself,'
The same person added that their brother had to teach them how to use 'the thing that trims the weeds.'
'Yesterday, I finally did that. I had to take my $800 sneakers off first, but it was actually satisfying,' the resident added.
A mass labor shortage has left the wealthy and privileged residents of the Hamptons fending for themselves in ways they could never imagine. Pictured, the Hamptons shoreline
Furthermore, 74% of job seekers believe employers need to re-evaluate their benefits after the pandemic, including healthcare, sick and parental leave, and flexible work schedules, according to the survey (pictured)
According to real estate company Douglas Elliman, inventory of available homes throughout the Hamptons fell in the first quarter of the year as real estate sales and prices surged.
That means summer workers are having difficulty finding rentals, leaving many establishments shorthanded for the season.
'Right now it is full season in the Hamptons and we are closed Sundays and Mondays; we don't have enough cooks,' Eric Lemonides, co-owner of Almond told the New York Times.
Other factors are at play too.
Due to a sweeping ban on J-1 work visas in 2020, temporary workers are being forced to cancel their initial plans to spend the summer working in the U.S.
According to the U.S State Department, COVID-19 restrictions have reduced appointment capacity, creating 'a significant backlog of both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants awaiting a visa interview.'
Meanwhile, some US workers are choosing to opt out of the service industry, after many lost their jobs during the lockdown, blaming poor pay, bad benefits and a stressful work environment as the cause, according to a Joblist survey.
According to the survey, hospitality jobs are unpopular, with 38% of former hospitality
