Staff shortages in reverse as hundreds apply for FNQ café job

A café in Far North Queensland has received over 200 applications for a single job posting.

The Port Douglas business has been swamped by backpackers and students looking for casual work.

Cafe Dulce owner Danny Rodriguez continues to receive CVs.

“I was very surprised because last year we had no one (applying for jobs),” Rodriguez told the Cairns Post.

“We virtually had to run with the smallest crew I have ever (had in) a coffee shop.

“Now there’s so many applicants but there’s not enough jobs.”

Trinity Beach restaurant Il Chiosco is facing a similar, but positive, issue and now it’s the backpackers scrabbling to find work.

“I have friends who have been here since January and February struggling to get enough work hours,” Indonesian backpacker Kevin Jonathan said.

“Just 10-15 hours per week is really low.”

Jonathan was previously a river cruise attendant in Melbourne and is highly experienced, but is happy to take any job at a cafe or restaurant.

“I’m not sure if they are throwing it away.

“Sometimes they say we are not busy, sorry for that,” he said.

“I think it’s a very unlucky time for me to be here.”

Cairns Chamber of Commerce CEO Patricia O’Neill has welcomed the influx of skilled and unskilled labour to FNQ.

“One of the reasons (there are so many available workers) is people feel more safe travelling around the world, which has encouraged backpackers to come back,” O’Neill said.

“A great example was the opening of Bushfire Fire and Grill where the open day could not cope with demand for people who showed up for interviews.”

Ulie Araujo, owner of L’Unico in Trinity Beach is seeing the industry turn around.

“Usually around Easter, things change, maybe after this time. That’s what we are rooting for.”

According to Cairns Chamber of Commerce president Enver Selita, the outlook will continue to improve.

“We saw that shift in December when Cairns was one of the most searched travel destinations,” Selita said.

Across Australia cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services are now just 0.5 per cent off pre-pandemic levels.

Irit Jackson, 11^th April 2023