Today's Article

Worker Shortages Cancel Summer Camps

일손 부족으로 취소되는 여름 캠프 

School is out for summer. And some of the camps parents 1counted on to keep their children busy... are 2no longer an option. From private to city-run summer camps... some programs are either 3being trimmed or 4cancelled altogether this 2022 season due to a serious 5worker shortage.

“I think it’s another really tough year for summer camps.”

Camp IHC in Pennsylvania is one of those camps still operating the season. But Camp Director Lauren Rutkowski says they have had to 6raise wages and hire international staff to have enough 7counselors.

“We have seen the cost of 8staffing go up 30 to 50%. So that’s really 9tricky. When in 2020, most of us did not open at all.”

Meanwhile in Georgia, Camp Fire Camp Toccoa announced the cancellation of its overnight camp due to difficulty in securing the necessary staff. And in Michigan, Traverse City canceled its summer day camp program... saying it couldn’t hire enough workers to meet state regulations requiring a 10:1 students to counselor ratio. 

“We meet you!”

The staffing issues come as demand has  10come roaring back after pandemic disruptions... some 26 million children nationwide are expected to be enrolled in one of over 15,000 summer camps in the country.

“We will likely be fully enrolled for summer 2023... at some point, you know in July this year.”

Meanwhile, inflation is also 11surging, forcing some camp operators to 12pass on additional costs to parents as they’re faced with higher prices for food, transportation, staff and insurance.