[fight_truth_decay]

The People Report Workforce 2006 survey underscores that the labor-intensive restaurant industry (which will need 1.6 million new workers by 2010) faces a significant challenge due to a shrinking pool of potential employees, and their migration to other industries – notably retail, grocery, banking, and healthcare. To remain competitive, the survey urges “aggressive” and “proactive” measures in the areas of compensation/benefits. But at a time when competitive pay and top benefits, such as health insurance and 401K plans are essential to attract quality employees, restaurateurs must also cope with skyrocketing costs. Teresa Siriani, pres., People Report, suggests that restaurateurs get creative. “Why not figure out what’s important to your employees and then be as innovative as you can be?” She says perks such as flexible schedules are increasingly meaningful as workers of all ages seek to balance personal and professional activities. And things such as better checking rates, direct deposit, pet insurance, health care memberships, corporate programs with cell phone companies, legal assistance – even better deals with a car dealership – can have minimal costs but high impact. She underscores the importance of asking employees what would be important to them – which can be as diverse as the employee base. “No perk or benefit means anything if people don’t want it,” she cautions.

[muawiyah]

It's the "undocumented tourists". Every chance they get they threaten and intimidate younger Americans who attempt to work at these places.

The solution is to send the tourists back home. They've had their fun. Now it's time to get outta' our face.

[Screamname]

Mike Nifong is available.

[fight_truth_decay]

James "Slim Jim" A. Skinner is the Vice Chairman and Chief executive officer (CEO) of McDonald's voted to the position in November, 2004. He has confessed (off the record, in a sports bar) to Fox News reporter Susan Yeo that he has never personally eaten a McDonald's. He is a vegan.[1]

[endthematrix]

"About half the employees in the fast-food industry are between 16 and 25 years old. "

And the other half are above 25...

I'm sure there's a growing trend that older lower skilled workers are attracted to the higher pay that McD's offers compared to other vocations.

[ken21]

i’ve noticed less teens working for several decades in socal.

once asian immigrant families get their businesses going they want their kids on the education job all day.

generally, as people become more wealthy they don’t expect their kids to work.

as bill handel of radio kfi am 640 famously said: “my kids are not flipping burgers!”

[Obie Wan]

Well if you make 10 BILLION dollars on your Eastern-U.S. division alone maybe you should pay the help more and you might not have such a shortage !!!

[Tanniker Smith]

I walked into a McD’s in Lower Manhattan a couple of months ago. One of my studetns was mopping in the back and spotted me. I later found out that 5 or 6 guys from my high school work there at some time during the week, and they’re all proud of that fact. A couple of them graduated last month. Good luck to them.

[Clemenza]

When I was in high school, I moved to Boca Raton, FL. My fellow classmates referred to working at McDonald's as "Haitian work" and would look down on you if you even thought about flipping burgers. A crying shame if you ask me.

(BTW: I worked at Blockbuster instead).

[rottndog]

I'd like to see this chart...

juxtaposed to one that shows the increase in the percentage of these jobs that are filled with illegal aliens. My guess is that the two charts show the drop in teen age employment corresponds directly (or pretty close) to the rise in illegal alien employment.

[Screamname]

Here in New York city, I use to work at Nathans after school in the mid to late `70`s and would go home with $40 a week which was like gold to me as before that I had a paper route delivering Penny Savers every Saturday which netted me a huge lump sum check of $20 at the end of the month! Wooo! To this day I remember my mother flipping out because I took my brother to a local carnival and we blew the whole $20 throwing balls at cans, shooting paper ducks just to win anything, which we eventually did which was a Rod Stewart poster even though we had no idea who Rod Stewart was.

[ran20]

I know for my extended family for the kids there is little point working at a place like McDonalds. They do like 4 hour shifts, paying maybe 6 dollars an hour. That is all of 24$.. then minus off transport expenses and other expenses related to work.

Its better imo to volunteer even for something related to the career they are working towards. Either a highly specialized trade or a profession depending on the aptitude and interests of the kid.

The early shortages we have seen so far though are nothing compared to what is going to happen when the baby boom retires from the good government and corporate jobs. That will open up countless good jobs for the young. Wages are going to rocket ship upwards.

[Fast Ed97]

I worked since I was 16 but never in fast food. Ugly uniforms and it just had an embarrassing connotation. I worked on a buffet and washed dishes instead.

[Radix]

If McDonald's goes out of business because they did not have enough teenagers to work for them, then that will be evidence that their long term business plan was not at all very good.

That would simply be the Market at work.

[Screamname]

They can`t hire teens because all the kids are dead from heart attacks by the time they reach their teens from eating McDonalds.

"Hey lady, I told you to SUPER SIZE those fries, or do I have to repeat myself?"

[digitalbrownshirt]

The local McDonalds chased off all their American staff overnight, then replaced them with 100% Mexican employees in a town that is 97% white. A few months later the cops found out that some of them were dealing drugs through the drive-thru window and proceeded to make some arrests. Apparently the ones that weren’t dealing drugs weren’t too crazy about getting interviewed by the police either so they stopped showing up for work. Probably didn’t matter since so many locals were boycotting the place over their hiring policies anyway. So they cleaned house again, tore down the store, rebuilt and started over. Last time I went there it was a pretty even mix of kids, retirees, a few in between and different races.

[null and void]

Yet oddly enough, In-n-Out Burger never has trouble getting kids to work there...

[null and void]

Industry observers say McDonald's has done more than any of its national competitors to promote employment, even while it may pay lower wages than some regional and national chains,

I think I might see part of the problem here...

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

1 reason why bush is favoring illegal immigration.

[Moonman62]

Fumbles with the equipment slow down order times — a big turnoff for customers looking for a quick meal. That's why it's critical to find, and keep, qualified workers. An internal McDonald's study shows stores with higher-performing crews reduce turnover by 30% and increase sales by $200,000 annually.

I'll give McDonald's credit. They aren't begging for illegals, they recognize the value of a quality workforce, and they are looking for positive solutions to the problem.

[Altura Ct.]

Ted Nugent: Cultivating work ethic is vital for children, for America

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1869923/posts