The New Hampshire tourism industry is concerned the fight against terrorism could spoil this year's summer season.
Not because visitors are afraid to travel.
It's that the federal government has enforced a cap on the number of visas issued to foreign workers.
Employment officials estimate the cap will result in 6-700 fewer workers than the industry needs.
New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein looks at why New Hampshire businesses are demanding foreign workers, when people are unemployed at home.
40% of the state's visitors come during the summer months.
And the past few years New Hampshire's tourism industry has increasingly relied on a foreign workforce to serve those guests.
Last year businesses brought in about 600 summer workers to cook, clean, garden and wait tables.
But this March, the federal government announced the country had reached its 66 thousand worker cap under what is called the H2B visa.
In the past the limit had been overlooked, but this year federal officials clamped down.
Fearful summer businesses won't be able to field a full compliment of employees, New Hampshire's senators have signed onto a bi-partisan measure to temporarily raise the cap. Senator Judd Gregg.
13:45 ...This is not a regional problem, this is a national problem...there are a lot of places that need to get help to come in to assist them for a summer season and they can't do it now.
If the legislation passes, it would increase the cap enough to meet New Hampshire's needs this year.
Track 6
Sfx: Restaurant murmur
Russell Hart, owner of Hart's Turkey Farm in Meredith is pushing for the bill's passage.
Track 4
1:18 just to show you more dining, every night this whole building is filled, and during the daytime we use at least two-thirds and we seat just under 500 people.
Hart's business is visibly slow in the off-season.
But during July and August, the restaurant depends on 200 employees to move turkey dinners all day long.
Hart is worried his guests won't return if they get merely adequate service this summer.
Track 15
11:22 ... if they don't get excellent service, that could have a very bad long term affect on the tourism in this area of the country.
Hart says only about 30 of his jobs are held by foreign workers.
But when Hart heard about the limit on H2Bs, he immediately started looking for other employees.
Track 15
1:15 maybe four or five weeks ago we had an ad in specifically for waitstaff. We had nine people apply. And out of those nine, only one was truly what we call waitstaff material. So it is quite a challenge when you advertise you are not getting the person that you are looking for.
Many in New Hampshire's tourism industry say US residents just aren't interested in the seasonal jobs.
But as Hart's experience illustrates, it's not that people don't necessarily want the jobs.
It's that the employers don't always want the potential employees.
1:55 some of them might not have proper English, even though they are American, and they wouldn't be able to rise to how you want your business presented. I think that pretty much is what the issue is.
Francis Morrisey runs the H2-B visa program for the Department of Employment Security.
He travels to different businesses he says to get the pulse of why businesses depend on foreign workers.
Track 2
5:20 one of the issues here is quality of workers. One of the attractive things, many of the workers, whether they are from Jamaica or Eastern Europe, where unemployment is extremely high...employers tell me, they are bright, motivated, they are hard working, it means a tremendous amount to them, go to school, support their family, is riding on this. It's life and death...economic survival.
But many people here in New Hampshire face economical struggles of their own.
About 3000 unemployed workers live in
New Hampshire's three northern counties of Grafton, Coos and Carol.
Larry Kelly is the executive director for the Tri-County Community Action Program.
Kelly says he knows 100 people who are interested in these seasonal jobs.
:20 there are people who want them and need them. But the seasonal is one of four obstacles standing between folks and positions. In addition to the fact that it is seasonal, and needless to say year round work is prefereable, there is the problem of wages. There si the problem of benefits, there aren't any, or they are inadequate. And then there is the question of transportation.
Kelly says if businesses worked with organizations like his, they could help with people's transportation or daycare needs.
He argues, employers would be getting a dependable US workforce that right now isn't working.
Kelly notes it costs companies to bring in foreign workers.
At the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel Personnel Director Suzanne Ingram says her firm charges workers $40 dollars a week for room and board.
But that doesn't cover costs.
:07 ... that is a very good bargin to the employee, to the employer its an additional cost. So absolutely, my goal is to hire every local person in the area. However, there aren't that many people who are interested in being laid off 16 weeks of the year, and not having health benefits offered to them.
Among the lobbyists to increase the H2B visa is former Ambassador to Belize George Bruno.
Bruno says even with the cost of maintaining a foreign work staff, he scoffs at the notion of offering daycare or transportation services to New Hampshire workers.
10:54 a business is not going to act against its self-interest. If they thought it would be easier to do what you are suggesting, they would do it.
Right now, figuring out how to hire more unemployed workers for the summer season is not the most pressing issue for many of the state's businesses.
For the tourism industry that problem takes a backseat to just trying to fill their jobs before the guests arrive.
For NHPR News, I'm DG.
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