REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.- Fewer international workers are expected at Delaware's beaches this summer.
Predictions from the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce call for about 1,000 international workers this season, Chamber President Carol Everhardt said. The number has been on the decline for several years, Everhardt said.
If true, the change would represent a nearly 75 percent drop in foreign workers for the summer since the number peaked around 2005, the chamber said.
Business owners blame the reduction on several factors, mostly economy-related. Everhardt said there are fewer jobs available and more American workers competing for the open positions. Another possible factor: new regulations for working abroad.
Artem Melshin arrived in Delaware from Russia nearly five years ago for a seasonal job at Grotto Pizza. He said word from home is that many workers will not make the trip this year.
Steve Cobb, food and beverage director at the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel in Rehoboth, said he typically would receive up to six applications a day from international workers for seasonal positions; this year, he's receiving that many requests in a week.
To some degree, businesses have scaled back as well. Cobb said he used to hire up to 12 seasonal workers for Victoria's Restaurant but is now down to four. The restaurant manager said it could take several years before summer hiring returns to its pre-recession levels.
