Stores look to hire before students head home

April 20, 2005

At least 17 downtown Evanston businesses had “help wanted” signs propped in their windows Wednesday, symbolizing that city stores and restaurants are preparing for Northwestern student employees’ summer exodus.

Many student employees leave in the summer and their spots need to be filled, said Ayndrea Natkin, manager of the dance clothing store New Attitude, 523 Davis St. Two of Natkin’s four employees are students.

“It’s a seasonal situation,” she said. “We’re heading into summer and want to shore up (on employees).”

Natkin hung a “help wanted” sign three weeks ago but interest has been sparse, she said.

“We’re getting a little desperate,” she said.

More employees need to be hired as new businesses grow, said Peter Lutz, owner of Pita Pete’s, 1571 Sherman Ave.

Pita Pete’s, which has another store near Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., opened in Evanston about seven months ago.

“As it builds, I need more employees,” said Lutz. “We have a lot of room and availability.”

Lutz said he was surprised that he hadn’t had many applicants since he put the sign up a few days ago.

“If I put the sign up in DeKalb, I would’ve had 40 applicants the first day, ” he said.

The three- to four-hour shifts at Pita Pete’s are great for students’ “erratic schedules,” Lutz said.

Some Evanston businesses regularly accept applications, although they may not need to hire help immediately.

JK Sweets, 720 Clark St., keeps applications on file until a spot opens up, said Jung-Eun Cha, a JK Sweets employee.

Now there are available positions at the eatery that need to filled, she said.

“The help wanted sign is up now because we definitely need it,” Cha said.

Students from other Chicago-area schools take advantage of Evanston’s downtown businesses and apply for jobs, said Marlon Johnson, a Loyola University Chicago sophomore.

“It’s assumed you can get a better job in Evanston,” Johnson said, who used to work at Borders Books and Music, 1700 Maple Ave.

There is a mix of Loyola and NU student employees at Fashion Tomato, 1631 Sherman Ave., said Weinberg freshman Alice Kim, who began working at the clothing store in October.

Other students often come in and fill out applications, although the store owner isn’t hiring.

“Our employee schedule is pretty full,” Kim said.

On a national level, employment trends are less clear.

In March U.S. Businesses added 110,000 jobs according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, shy of the about 150,000 new jobs needed to keep up with population growth. Retail employment stayed about constant.

Reach Beth Murtagh at [email protected].

Help Wanted

Golden Olympic, 1608 Chicago

Marble Slab, 940 Church St.

New Attitude, 523 Davis St.

Ethel’s, 527 Davis St.

Pita Pete’s, 1571 Sherman Ave.

Egea, 1521 Sherman Ave.

Francesca’s, 1706 Maple Ave.

Cost Plus, 1725 Maple Ave.

The Art Store, 1755 Maple Ave.

Papa John’s, 1743 Benson Ave.