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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. To end today's show, we're going to host a special kind of call-in. Welcome to the Brian Lehrer Show Job Fair. Employers, what openings do you currently have available? We actually want to know, and listeners may be there to fill them. Call in at 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Why? We're hosting this job fair today because we're in this weird moment in the Tri-state area and nationwide of a lot of recent layoffs in some industries, but also many employers out there are still having trouble filling open positions.

At the start of this year, the New York Post reported that New York City lost 300,000 people from its workforce since the start of COVID. According to New York City Comptroller, Brad Lander, who we may have had on the show earlier this week, the shortage is especially visible in the city's government, actual public employees with a lot of openings. Here are some of the vacancy rates that city agencies reported as of the end of last year.

The Commission on Human Rights Community Development has a vacancy rate of roughly 64%. Child Support Services facing a vacancy rate of 46%. These are overwhelming numbers. New York City's Cyber Command, which protects the city's cybersecurity, they have 36% of their positions vacant. Hello, laid-off tech workers, New York City's Cyber Command may want you. While these vacancies aren't new, what stands out is the ways in which the government is trying to fill these jobs.

Just this week, one of our producers received a robocall from Mayor Adams, Mayor Adams' voice, right, on a recording, a robocall, advertising a job fair for city positions, and an email blast about a city job training program for adults 55+. It seems that the usual job posting tactics aren't working on their own right now, and employers need to get more creative if they want to fill their empty positions. It's not just city government, we know. I was using those as examples. Employers, what openings are you trying to fill at your workplace? 212-433-WNYC. Wouldn't it be great if you could fill it with a Brian Lehrer Show listener? 212-433-9692 for the Brian Lehrer Show Job Fair.

Maybe one of our listeners is the model employee you've been looking for. We wonder if you've had to expand your tactics and look for employees in different places and whether this might be one of them. Another example we've seen, the clothing retailer, Eileen Fisher, advertise a New York City hiring event on their Instagram stories. What length have you gone in order to find new employees? Call us at 212-433-WNYC. Employers, 212-433-9692. You get a free listing here on the Brian Lehrer Show Job Fair, 212-433-9692. Let's see what we get. We'll take your calls right after this.

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. All right. It's the Brian Lehrer Show Job Fair. Employers, what openings do you have that you're having trouble filling? Who knows if there's a Brian Lehrer Show listener out there who might be a match? 212-433-WNYC. 212-433-9692. Oran in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Oran.

Oran: Hey, how are you doing? Thanks so much for having me on.

Brian Lehrer: Sure. What kind of business are you in?

Oran: I have a musical organization called Timbalooloo, and we do music classes through a method I developed for young children in schools and in homes throughout New York. We're going to be hiring some music teachers for young children and also a business manager to help expand our work.

Brian Lehrer: That's neat. How can people apply? You have a web address or something?

Oran: Yes. They can go to timbalooloo.com. It's T-I-M-B-A-L-O-O-L-O-O, timbalooloo.com. We're just about to start posting for the jobs, but they can send us an email through that website. It's part-time work for anyone who's good with children and loves-- We do music like Herbie Hancock, Tito Puente. Such great music from around the world that they will be teaching children.

Brian Lehrer: Great. Do they need to be musically trained themselves?

Oran: They need to play some instruments like a guitar or percussion, and stuff like that, but we have all these lesson plans and stuff. We work from six months up through early elementary.

Brian Lehrer: Sounds cool. Thanks for listening. I have a feeling we have lots of Brian Lehrer Show listeners with the qualifications for that. We'll see if anybody's interested. By the way, I want to expand it. I said in the original talk-up that this is for employers, but let me also open it to some of you who got laid off in the last year or so. You can call up and tell us for the other side of the job fair, A, how's the hunt and who would you like to hear about you if you're looking for work? 212-433-WNYC.

For job seekers as well, 212-433-9692 to make the job fair fair. Employers and job hunters, 212-433-9692. Did you get laid off from one of the tech giants, from a media company, or where else, even as employers in some sectors have trouble finding applicants, which is the other part of what we're doing, 212-433-WNYC. Employers and prospective employees, get ready to take notes. Employers, call up and list your job opening or shout it out on the radio. People looking for work, who do you want to know about you? 212-433-WNYC, 433- 9692. Here's Kim up in Hunter, New York. Hi, Kim, you're on WNYC.

Kim: Hi, Brian. Nice to talk to you. I'm a big fan.

Brian Lehrer: [unintelligible 00:07:11] You have a job?

Kim: Yes, I have a few jobs. I own a restaurant up in Hunter, New York, Jagerberg Beer Hall & Alpine Tavern. We are currently hiring back-of-house positions, prep cook, expo, line cook.

Brian Lehrer: You're entering high season, I imagine, coming into summer, right?

Kim: Yes. Our real high season-- We're right at the foot of Hunter Mountain ski area, so our real high season is winter, but we have a busy summer too.

Brian Lehrer: Right. Say again exactly what the openings are.

Kim: Line cook, prep cook, and expo. We can switch between those jobs. Generally, our chef, who's a [unintelligible 00:07:53] trained chef, tries to train everybody in all positions so when we have people calling out or when we need more people, we can swap around.

Brian Lehrer: How are things looking? You think it's going to be a good Memorial Day weekend and summer season?

Kim: The weather's looking beautiful for this weekend, so I'm hoping. Yes. It's going to be great.

Brian Lehrer: All right. Just tell people how they can get in touch.

Kim: Sure. It's Jagerber Hall, J-A-G-E-R-B-E-R-G, H-A-L-L.com. They can apply on the website, also on Instagram, and Facebook. Jagerberg is German for Hunter Mountain. It's a German Alpine restaurant.

Brian Lehrer: I did not know that. All right, Kim, thank you very much. Good luck. Gary in Bayside, you're on WNYC. Hi, Gary.

Gary: Hi, Brian. Thank you for your service to the community of New York.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you.

Gary: I'm looking for a home health aide/caregiver for my 92-year-old father. It's a full-time position in Bayside, Queens. Probably best for somebody already in Eastern Queens. I'd love nothing more than to have an NYC listener fill that spot.

Brian Lehrer: Awesome. That's full-time, meaning eight hours a day or a live-in home health aide?

Gary: Yes, it's eight hours a day, mostly afternoons, going to 7:30 at night, or going to 8:30 at night, and then one shift would be a morning shift. I'm flexible. My dad is very easy to take care of. I'm hoping to find somebody.

Brian Lehrer: All right. I'm a little wary about having individuals rather than businesses give out their phone numbers or anything on the air. How should people contact you? You have an email address maybe?

Gary: Yes. My email address is very public. It's gbaker@thehackettgroup.com. That's T-H-E-H-A-C-K-E-T-T-G-R-O-U-P.com

Brian Lehrer: Gary, thank you very much. Good luck to you and your dad. If somebody comes through who's a listener, let us know. Job seeker, Ronald in Crown Heights, you're on WNYC. Hi, Ronald.

Ronald: Good morning, Brian. Thank you for your service to the community. You're a treasure to the community of New York.

Brian Lehrer: You're very welcome, and thank you for even putting it that way. What kind of job you want?

Ronald: A security guard job. I'm a very experienced worker. I'm very punctual. I'm only late 5% of the time, but the problem is my license expired last year after 15 years of service because I was working a different capacity, and it's going to take me a few weeks to get the new license.

Brian Lehrer: This is for once you get your new license, that's when you would be ready to work as a security guard?

Ronald: Yes, I'm ready to work, but some employer might accept it like that because it might take me a few weeks to get the license.

Brian Lehrer: How can they get in touch?

Ronald: You want me to leave my number off the air?

Brian Lehrer: Yes, we can do that. Why don't we do that? Ronald, hang on. Yes, we'll take your number off the air. Screeners, can somebody take Ronald's contact information? Then listeners, if you're looking for a security guard to hire, you can get in touch with us. Also, we can take your email address as well as your phone number and then listeners who might have a security job position to offer, you can text us at 212-433-WNYC. Same as our call-in line, 212-433-9692. We'll try to set up that match. Another job seeker. Lance in-- is it Sloatsburg? Are you in Sloatsburg, Lance?

Lance: No, I'm in Staatsburg.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, Staatsburg. Oh, I don't know where Staatsburg is. Where's that?

Lance: Right next to Rhinebeck, Hudson Valley. 2 hours north of you up the Hudson.

Brian Lehrer: Okay. Yes, on the east side of the river.

Lance: Exactly.

Brian Lehrer: What kind of job are you looking for?

Lance: I've been working in software as a service for the last 15 years, doing mostly sales and business development, and I'm looking to transition out of that industry. It's been particularly hard hit of late, as you know, from Google on down. I'm interested in working with either entrepreneurs or organizations that need help with go-to-market strategy, sales strategy, actual sales, business development. I'm very open. I've talked to people that are trying to buy local dentistry practices and roll them up and all kinds of different organizations. I also produced music festivals for 10 years in the early part of my career, but always with the idea of doing business development and helping people scale and [crosstalk]

Brian Lehrer: Do you have an email address you're comfortable giving out?

Lance: Yeah, sure, lance, L-A-N-C-E-G-O-L-E-R@gmail.com. First name, last name @gmail.com. Let me just say, Brian, I love what you do, and it's a thrill to call in.

Brian Lehrer: You're very kind, and good luck up there in Staatsburg, and I hope this works out for you. All right, we have one minute left in the show. We have two callers who look like they might even be a match. Who knows? We're going to take them sequentially, though, to not put anybody in an awkward position. Daniel in Lincoln Park, you're on WNYC. Hi, Daniel, we've got to do it in 20 seconds. Go for it.

Daniel: Brian, my company, Infrastructure Repair Service, is seeking a part-time payroll clerk/accounts payable clerk, 20 to 24 hours a week. A lot of data entry and on-the-job training will be given.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. We're going to go to-- Mary, can you help me with this line nine, I think it is, line nine, who might be a match with him. Do you see line nine? Can you put line nine up? Hi, there. Hi, there. Who's this? We have 20 seconds for you. Kevin in Uniondale, are you there?

Kevin: Yes, hello.

Brian Lehrer: Do it in 15 seconds-

Kevin: Hi, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: -then we're out of time. What kind of job are you looking for? Maybe that last caller has one for you.

Kevin: I am looking for finance and accounting, more management and forecasting, and financial planning and analysis.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. You heard the other guy. Maybe you can get in touch with him if you want to try for that open position. Listeners, all right, we took a stab at it. Who knows? Maybe we made a few matches on the Brian Lehrer Show Job Fair. Thanks for listening today. Stay tuned for Alison.

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