Christine Battles was having a better day. A new welder was about to start, an office administrator was beginning and summer interns had accepted positions.
Battles is the chief administrator officer at Advanced Mechanical Enterprises in Fort Lauderdale. "We analyze machinery like a doctor checks your heart," she said. Its technicians and engineers work on engines and pumps on yachts, ships, water treatment facilities and train locomotives.
Despite the good news of welcoming new employees, the company continues to struggle to find qualified skilled workers for several other open jobs.
"A lot of resumes coming in, lacking experience. A lot of resumes coming in, lacking longevity," Battles said. "We're talking about the blue collar – the welder, fabricator, machinist."
Battles' fight to find workers is not unique.
Finding workers, especially skilled workers, is tough in South Florida, which has the lowest unemployment rate of any large metro region in the country.
As the job market bounced back from the pandemic-induced recession, the unemployment rate plummeted with firms soaking up new workers who relocated here. It has led to a historically low jobless rate and companies competing for people.
READ MORE": A 'very difficult market' for good hires: South Florida reports low unemployment
"I'm one of everyone else who's struggling hiring good workers, specifically trades people," said Justin Montes, CEO of D'Angelo Marine Exhaust in Fort Lauderdale. "Welders, plumbers, parts cutters, machinists — it's very difficult to find and keep good people."
D'Angelo is larger than most Broward-based marine industry firms. It has more than 60 employees. Most members of the industry's trade group, the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, have less than 50 workers.
There were more than half a million job openings statewide in February, the latest month data is available. It’s the third most of any state in the country. There were more than 500 marine jobs in South Florida listed on recruiting site Indeed.com in late April.
"I think the biggest challenge to us and the biggest challenge for our growth is really finding that great technical labor force," said Katie Hagan, chief operating officer of FHG Marine Engineering, which provides diesel engine repair and maintenance services for yachts and ships.
"We've been pushing projects off or having to schedule things later in the year just because we don't have the people power," she said. "It's definitely a challenge."
FHG has 16 full-time employees now and Hagan hopes to be able to hire 10 additional people before the end of the year. That kind of growth has her looking nationwide for qualified workers.
"We've been pushing projects off or having to schedule things later in the year just because we don't have the people power. It's definitely a challenge."Katie Hagan, FHG Marine Engineering
"We're trying to recruit from all over the country. It's not even just South Florida anymore. We've cast a really wide net," she said. "It's a hard job. You're in loud environments, tight environments, high stress. We definitely are looking for innovative ways to hire."
These marine service jobs aren’t remote or even hybrid. This work is where the boats and yachts and ships are. And in South Florida that usually means Broward County, with about 700 maritime companies including boat retailers. A 2022 study found the Broward-based marine companies produced total employee earnings of $2.2 billion.
Wage rises overtaken by inflation
Wages have been rising, but so has the cost of living. Entry level positions start around $15 an hour. The general range for the technician jobs at companies WLRN spoke with range from $30 to $50 an hour. That can be over $100,000 dollars a year, plus overtime.
Wages and salaries rose by about 5% overall in South Florida last year. That didn’t keep pace with inflation, which was up 5.7%.
"Normally, I would be more surprised [about] why aren't people wanting to move and come here from somewhere else, which we had had in the past," said Jimmie Harrison, president of Frank and Jimmie's Propeller.
He pointed to a common challenge: the cost of housing.
As companies compete to retain and recruit workers, they've been adding benefits such as more time-off, 401k contributions, accelerated vesting periods and reimbursement for some student loans. And, of course, pay.
"My job became raising prices, raising salaries. Then next week raise prices more and raise salaries more," Harrison said.
This is known as the wage-price spiral. Higher wages propel higher prices to pay for them, propelling higher wages, which then propel higher prices. Similar to the water pushed by propellers Harrison sells.
But economists with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston concluded in January that wage growth "has not been a major driver of an additional increase in inflation.”
"We've got a few offers out right now," said Hagan of FHG Marine Engineering, "we'd love to have three to four more people by the end of the quarter."
Even with the two hires this month by Battles at Advanced Mechanical Enterprises, the firm still has four other posted job openings.
