Why the country’s largest shellfish farm is struggling to hire and retain workers, in The Guardian/High Country News
Taylor Shellfish, the country’s largest producer of farmed shellfish, has seen its workforce slim by nearly a third in just a few years. The company is struggling to hire and retain workers in the midst of skyrocketing housing costs along Washington’s waterfronts, and immigration crackdowns initiated under the Trump era. In an attempt to make the work more attractive, Taylor has increased its starting wages, helps employees find housing, and has turned to mechanization–an effort to keep production up even with a slimmed down workforce, while also making the day-to-day work easier for the employees they do have. This piece is a collaboration between The Guardian and High Country News.
