Workforce challenges continue to plague restaurants, hotels, attractions, bars, breweries, and other hospitality-related businesses in North Carolina. With funding made available from the American Rescue Plan, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) is working to help address the issue.
The NC legislature has allocated $5 million of the state’s portion of the American Rescue Plan funds to support a recruitment campaign to help rebuild the NC hospitality workforce in the aftermath of COVID-19. Elements planned as a part of this campaign to attract and retain workers in the hospitality industry include: Labor Market Analysis, Employer and Employee Focus Groups, Identification of Best Practices in Employee Recruitment and Retention, Developing Concepts and Messaging to Support a NC Hospitality Workforce Recruitment Campaign, and Development and Execution of a NC Hospitality Workforce Recruitment Campaign.