King of Prussia Mall hosts job fair to help merchants scrambling to find employees

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The King of Prussia Mall was one of five Simon Malls in the Philadelphia area that hosted a job fair Tuesday amid the nationwide staffing shortage.

The job fair also took place at several other area shopping malls, including Philadelphia Mills, Oxford Valley Mall and the Montgomery Mall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Retailers had the opportunity to recruit for new hires with informational tables outside their shops.

There were close to 100 retailers participanting at King of Prussia Mall, including restaurants, clothing stores and luxury retailers.

"A lot of stores in the mall are looking for employment, and this is something going on all over the place, all over the country. So we're doing this to help our merchants," said King of Prussia Mall general manager Robert Hart.

While retail is bouncing back from the pandemic, the ability to hire new employees is dwindling.

SEE ALSO: Local businesses are offering cash, classes and more for new hires

SIGNING BONUSES: New hires are being offered everything from hundreds of dollars in bonuses, classes to further their education and more are employers look for badly-needed help.

"Unfortunately, some of our people didn't come back. In this market, we're doing extremely well and we need more help," said Milanj Diamonds CEO Jalil Bami.

The high-end jeweler said they are even willing to train people who might not have a sales background, and the pay is well beyond competitive.

"An average salesperson makes between $65,000 to $120,000 a year," Bami said.

Alex and Ani, a trendy costume jewelry shop, was also out recruiting.

"We're looking to take anything we can get. We're looking to help improve people and their skill sets as well," said store manager Alexandra Clark.

Many retailers are hopeful that offering everything from discount perks to training opportunities will help them find the right fit in terms of new hires. Managers said there is truly something out there for anyone willing to work.

The general manager of King of Prussia Mall said they are looking to host more job fairs in the future to make sure merchants can thrive. For more information visit, www.simon.com.