The North American aviation industry is wooing workers with daycare centres, cheaper transport and free iPhones to compete in a tight market where salaries for entry-level, low-skilled jobs often lag those at e-commerce companies like Amazon.
U.S. air transportation employment has recovered over the past year to above pre-pandemic levels. But the sector still needs to add jobs as U.S. air travel also rebounds – forecasts show it is set to rise again this year from pre-pandemic levels hit in 2022. Since its launch, 37 airport workers have joined the program, which covers daycare costs partially. The city of Phoenix is also spending $1-million to develop a separate child care facility next to the airport.
“Now he knows the daycare is coming and he’s not looking for work anymore,” Elchitz said. “That is exactly why we are doing this.” Kelowna’s airport is also considering shuttle service for hard-to-fill night or pre-dawn shifts when public transit is not available.Delta Air Lines is offering a $5,000 sign-on bonus for a ramp agent position – among the more taxing jobs in aviation – in Minneapolis. Other carriers such as United Airlines and Alaska Airlines are also trying to attract workers for ramp operations with signing bonuses, according to job postings.
In some cases, airlines and aviation services companies are flying in workers and hosting them at local hotels for temporary assignments to avoid the costs of hiring additional staff in tighter labour markets, McPherson said.