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A m ericans are quitting work in record numbers and many economists e x p e c t t h e " G r e a t Resignation" to extend well into 2022. While some people (primarily Baby Boomers) are opting to retire or start their own businesses, others are remaining on the sidelines due to COVID fears or childcare issues. There is also a contingent that doesn't feel the financial need to go back to work thanks to more than a year of government largesse. With so much turmoil brought on by the pandemic, supply chain issues, inflation and a transition to digital business, the labor landscape has undergone a seismic shift and many employers – including those in most aspects of the team market – have reached their wits' end when it comes to hiring and retention. In short, it's hard to find, hire and keep good people in the team sports business. The U.S. Labor Department reported 10.4 million job openings in September, 2021. Industries with some of the highest numbers of job openings are experiencing the highest turnover, especially across retail and manufacturing. As of 2022, there are 268,871 people employed in U.S. sporting goods stores, an average increase of just 0.5 percent over the five years between 2017 and 2022, according to research firm IBISWorld. Here, we look at the state of the labor market, its impact on the team business from both the dealer and vendor perspectives and how the industry will press forward in 2022 and beyond. Dealers Speak Out on Hiring In these uncertain times, the only sure thing for most team dealers is that attracting and retaining employees is becoming harder, not easier. "It's been the biggest problem we have," says Bob Fawley, owner of Capitol Varsity Sports in Oxford, OH. "Our core employees are fine, but seasonal labor for our football reconditioning business has been very challenging." Fawley notes that the biggest thing that's changed in the past 24 months is the difficulty of gaining access to buildings and schools due to COVID. But as more business continues to be done online, he finds that "sales is a different animal than it was a decade ago" and it takes a different man or woman to navigate those changes. A technical aptitude is essential, he points out, "and being on the OrderMyGear platform has helped us make up some business. Also [due to supply chain issues], people are realizing that it's not an advantage for a school to do business with just one vendor." At this point, with interest rates rising and inflation starting to bite, Fawley is cautious about hiring. "I can't bring myself to take a flyer on a bunch of new salesmen — I need to see what happens. I think [the industry will] struggle through anther year of labor shortages." He adds, "We're still at it and trying to keep all the wheels on. I'm excited about the future because there's still a lot of business and folks are still buying. You just have to be smart about how you do things." California: Discouraging Work On the West Coast, Aaron Karsh, director of operations at California Pro Sports in Harbor City, CA, laments that hiring has been tough, "especially in California, which has been doing everything it can to discourage people from taking jobs." He cites pandemic shutdowns and free-flowing money from the government as being key factors LABOR PAINS sportstyle • sportstylemag.com 52 • March/April 2022 Having trouble hiring and keeping good workers? You are not alone in the team business. By Judy Leand ISSUES | HIRING

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