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Competition for hospitality workers in Arizona is stiff

Among the sectors hit the hardest by the pandemic is the hospitality industry. While Arizona is set up for a good season with college bowl games and winter visitors, there are uncertainties with the COVID-19 omicron variant. 

Kim Sabow, president of the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association, says the industry developed ways to keep visitors and employees safe. 

“You see our industry and our businesses across the board making massive investments to ensure that we are not only meeting those health, safety, cleanliness protocols, but we are exceeding those protocols," Sabow said. 

While the industry is poised for a strong season, there is still a challenge of finding enough workers. The industry has been hiring as quickly as possible, but competition for workers is stiff. 

Sabow says it’s important to let workers know they will be working in a safe environment.

Greg Hahne started as a news intern at KJZZ in 2020 and returned as a field correspondent in 2021. He learned his love for radio by joining Arizona State University's Blaze Radio, where he worked on the production team.