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- A pizzeria in Alabama has offered to "literally hire anyone" in an unusual job posting on Facebook.
- Dave's Pizza, in Homewood, directed its posting at people who are on unemployment benefits.
- Restaurants across Alabama say they're struggling to find staff.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
In an unusual job posting on Facebook, a pizzeria in Alabama has offered to "literally hire anyone," suggesting the labor shortage continues to hit restaurants hard.
"We will literally hire anyone," Dave's Pizza, in Homewood, said in a Facebook post Wednesday. "If you're on unemployment and can't find a job, call us; we'll hire you."
Restaurants across Alabama say they're struggling to find staff. At least three Chick-fil-A restaurants in the state have closed their dining rooms for this reason, with one saying staff were "exhausted" trying to keep up with demand. Another said far fewer people than normal were applying for jobs, and some applicants weren't showing up to interviews.
Dave's Pizza didn't share details about the roles it's offering. When people commented on its Facebook post asking what starting pay was, it declined to give details publicly, saying that candidates should visit the pizzeria and ask to speak to a manager.
"Come introduce yourself, if you have a resume bring it; let's talk," the pizzeria said. "Ask to speak to a manager."
One commenter said: "We can start the conversation by you providing what the pay range is."
Another commenter said: "Not willing to let folks know what you pay up front? ... May be part of the reason you're having a hard time hiring anyone."
The pizzeria said that starting wages varied with experience and education.
Dave's Pizza didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on how much it pays staff.
Restaurant staff quit the industry despite rising wages
People have been leaving the restaurant industry in droves in search of higher pay, better benefits, and more flexibility.
However, wages are rising. The national average wage for nonsupervisory staff in the restaurant industry hit the $15-an-hour mark for the first time in May, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows.
Wages were already on the up because of the push for a $15 federal minimum wage, but the labor shortage added fuel to the fire. Restaurant chains including McDonald's, Chipotle, and Starbucks have all said they'll raise wages as companies scramble to find workers.
Alabama doesn't have a state minimum wage and instead uses the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Employers in Alabama can pay tipped workers as little as $2.13 an hour depending on how much they make in tips.
Alabama's July unemployment rate was 3.2%, according to BLS data - much lower than the national unemployment rate of 5.4%.
There are around 5% fewer people working in the leisure and hospitality sector in Alabama than in March 2020, the BLS data shows. About 195,000 people worked in the sector in July, preliminary figures show.