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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

J-1 students begin seeping in to bolster resort staffing

With Memorial Day Weekend kicking off another summer in Ocean City, the annual influx of thousands of J-1 student visa workers required to bolster resort-staffing needs is once again underway.

Melanie Pursel, Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce executive director, said approximately 4,000 foreign students will travel from abroad to work at the beach this summer, with the resort focused on sending everyone home safely once the season ends.

“Public safety is the big message this year,” she said. “We are working with sponsoring organizations to put a heavy emphasis on bike and pedestrian safety.”

To that end, Pursel said last week Ocean City launched a new program to install free bike lights at the City Hall gazebo each Wednesday from 10 a.m. until noon. The final event takes place on until Jun 27.

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13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Trump directed interruption in this process was totally unnecessary and dumb

Anonymous said...

The Trump directed interruption in this process was totally necessary and brilliant. Only haters would think otherwise.

Anonymous said...

They should hire Americans first. And don't anyone dare tell me they aren't getting applications from Americans. I was just told on Monday by a legal Mexican who works in housekeeping in a hotel how short staffed they are. She said many Americans were applying but management was waiting on the J-1 students so not hiring them. We all know why: To save on payroll taxes up to 8% when you hire J-1 students. This is due to the fact that they are exempt from Medicare, Social Security and Federal Unemployment Tax.

Anonymous said...

1:15 - I would rather see Americans employed here.

Anonymous said...

The beach will NOT HIRE AMERICANS BECAUSE OF TAXES. Cheaper to hire JI. WHY are you okay with this??

Anonymous said...

This is why I choose not to enrich oc business owners! Cry me a river!

Anonymous said...

"Anonymous said...

The Trump directed interruption in this process was totally unnecessary and dumb

May 30, 2018 at 1:15 PM"


The only thing dumb is your comment. That's the problem with you dumbed down products of the US "education" system. You can THINK because you've allowed yourself to be nothing but a programmed propaganda repeater. Let me educate you. The reason so many people are dependents is because of programs like this one. The reason people live paycheck to paycheck and can't get ahead are because ignoramuses like you. For an economy to flourish there needs to be employers competing for employees and not the other way around. When there are too many butts for too few seats employers can pay employees slave wages, offer no incentives like benefits and continue to line their own pockets more with money made off the backs of hard working people. I am in no way against people making money but what I don't like is the tax payers like myself subsidizing employees who work for businesses whose profits are millions even billions.

Anonymous said...

The foreign workers actually show up to work and don't whine and complain like the sheltered american kids. They come here to work and learn more better english.

Anonymous said...

Being a small business owner, you feel like the Government is your enemy, they want to rape and pillage your business with taxes and fees, then inventory taxes and more fees, penalties, assessments, licenses, permits... you can’t charge enough to cover their theft and still make a decent living anymore.

Anonymous said...

...and learn more better English.

I see what you did there 517 - hahahaha

Reality is going cheaper, cheapens EVERYTHING long term. Lather/rinse/repeat and POOF - you have empty hotel rooms midweek during the summertime! Jack those prices up to make up for the empties and still nada.

According to script, in a few weeks we should see the yearly article about lack of adequate housing for these J-1's. lather/rinse/repeat.

Same ol' Same ol' OC - aren't you tired of the same business model year after year after year? Its not the 1980's anymore $7 million dollar WALL builders!

Anonymous said...

How many of you people are employers? Americans just do not want these jobs , can't you get it, are yo blind or just stupid. When the "pipeline " of the product is interrupted it is Americans that lose jobs as a DIRECT result

Anonymous said...

If there were no foreign labor in OC, wages would rise dramatically.

Anonymous said...

If there were no foreign workers in Ocean City there would be no Ocean City . AS an Ocean City employer i know .