Employers across Ascension Parish are navigating a tightening labor market, as workforce shortages and rising wage expectations continue to reshape hiring conditions, according to Amy Sevario, co-owner of Ascension Staffing.
Sevario says finding qualified workers has become increasingly difficult in recent years, with staffing firms working harder to fill positions than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Candidates are getting harder and harder to find, and companies are not necessarily catching up to the wage demands,” Sevario says.
The challenge is particularly pronounced in skilled trades, where demand continues to outpace supply. “I think the most desirable position for a candidate or an applicant is always going to be process operator,” Sevario says. Class A CDL drivers are really hard to find, machinist mechanics. “Those are the super in-demand, the hands-on positions that nobody wants to do anymore.”
At the same time, broader shifts in hiring practices have complicated recruitment efforts. Sevario points to the rise of online job applications as a double-edged sword—streamlining processes for employers while creating barriers for both applicants and smaller businesses trying to compete for talent.
“People don’t know where to go to look for work anymore, and companies don’t have people walking in the door anymore looking for work, because everything that they do is online,” she says.
Staffing firms like Ascension Staffing, which places roughly 75 to 100 workers weekly across about 30 to 50 client companies, have stepped in to bridge that gap by maintaining a constant pipeline of candidates and relying on local networks and in-person recruiting. The agency has been in business for 20 years, providing clerical, manufacturing, light industrial, and skilled trades to companies throughout the industrial corridor.
Wage expectations are also shifting. Sevario says entry-level pay expectations have steadily increased since the pandemic, with many workers now targeting $15 per hour as a baseline—and some inexperienced candidates seeking closer to $18 per hour.
“I think it’s only going to go higher with the onslaught of all of the projects that are coming here,” Sevario adds.
Projects such as the proposed Hyundai steel mill in Ascension Parish are expected to further strain the labor pool, increasing demand for specialized manufacturing skills that are currently in short supply locally.
“We’re probably two or three years out from the Hyundai plant but I don’t know that we have the skills required for that industry,” Sevario says. “There’s not a whole lot of that type of manufacturing. We have chemical production but not a lot of product manufacturing. We’re going to have to have more people moving into the parish.”
However, Sevario notes that local education and workforce programs have begun to adapt—particularly through expanded trade training and partnerships with institutions like River Parishes Community College.
“I think the education system has caught up to that and started helping to meet the demand, she says, noting a shift away from a one-size-fits-all college track toward skilled trade pathways.
Sevario expects population growth and expanded training programs will be critical to keeping pace with industrial expansion. Despite current challenges, she says the parish is positioned to respond.
“I think we have a really good base to start with,” she says. “Any company that comes here, we’ll catch up to the demand.”
