Help Wanted: PA Gaming Report Reveals Post-COVID Hiring, Diversity Woes
$6,000 Welcome Bonus
Pennsylvania casinos have rehired thousands of employees since COVID-19 forced the industry to reduce its labor numbers by more than a third. Before Covid, Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos employed about 17,000 people. Three new properties have since opened, but collectively, their workforce dropped to 9,883 in June 2020. A year later, June 2021, 60% of the casino workforce had returned, with 13,870 employees — 4,613 being table games and poker staff.
58% of the employees are male, 42% are female, and 39% employed at the casinos are minorities. Of the 2,198 who count as executives and casino management, 64% were male and 36% female. The law that brought casinos to the Keystone State charges the PGCB with promoting and ensuring diversity in all aspects of legalized gaming.
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course had 332 positions open in that time frame, but was only able to hire 96. Parx Casino in Philly had 902 open positions and filled 352. Rivers Casino, in Pittsburgh, filled 180 out of 588 needed. Wind Creek Bethlehem only could fill 168 out 638. Presque Isle Downs (153), Casino Mohegan Sun Pocono (96), and Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack (202) hired as many people as they needed, while indeed.com shows more than 1,500 open casino jobs in Pennsylvania.
