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Recession means fewer foreigners working in Aspen |
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Sunday, December 11, 2011 21:45 |
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Aspen Skiing Co. employee Hector Gutierrez, of Carbondale, right, worked the gondola at the base of Aspen Mountain last week. Janet Urquhart, The Aspen Times
By Scott Condon, The Aspen Times
ASPEN — The Aspen Skiing Co.'s reliance on foreign workers to fill positions such as lift operators and maids has plummeted during the recession and hit its lowest level in years this winter.
Skico will use four H-2B visas to fill positions in its mountain operations this season, according to Jim Laing, Skico vice president of human resources.
“We went from 400 H-2Bs [prior to the recession], to six, to four,” Laing said.
While it seems like a different era, Skico and nearly every other employer faced a worker shortage just four seasons ago. The company applied for and received 400 temporary work permits for the 2007-08 season.
Laing said he was uncertain how many new H-2Bs and H-2B extensions will be used for workers in Skico's hotels. “It's a couple of handfuls, literally,” he said.
Read more about how the recession has hit the Aspen resorts - and who, if anyone, is benefiting.
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