BATON ROUGE, La. (NewsNation Now) — Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is sending members of its corporate staff to work as fry cooks and cashiers as the fast-food chain deals with a major staffing shortage, according to Bloomberg.
Starting this week, Bloomberg reports about half of Raising Cane’s office employees will help fill in at the company’s restaurants.
The Louisiana-based restaurant chain is trying to hire 10,000 new workers over the next 50 days at locations across the country.
“The first thing we teach new hires at Cane’s is that we are all Fry Cooks & Cashiers, and this week, we are proving that,” said chief operating officer AJ Kumaran in a statement published by QSR magazine.
Raising Cane’s is just one of many employers struggling to find workers to fill a surge in job openings — with a record 10.9 million reported nationwide in July.
“It’s no secret that today’s hiring market is a challenge,” Kumaran in a statement obtained by Bloomberg. “Ahead of our massive growth next year, having the support we need is critical.”
Massive aid from the federal government and the rollout of vaccines has supported an economic recovery, providing consumers with the financial wherewithal to spend and the confidence to return to restaurants, bars and shops.
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dipped last week to 326,000, in another sign that the U.S. job market and economy continue their steady recovery from last year’s coronavirus recession.
However, they are still above the 200,000-250,000 range that is viewed as consistent with a healthy labor market.
Raising Cane’s has 530 locations across the country.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.