6:00 a.m., December 17, 2021
Will there be a shortage of Santa Claus in the United States this year? A few days before Christmas, the candidates to embody the man in red and with the white beard, traditionally hired by shopping centers or in private events, are missing. And this because of the Covid-19. The virus, first of all, could have been particularly fatal in Santa Claus, often elderly. As for the other candidates, many are those who preferred to hang up the red coat, for fear of being contaminated.
25% drop in the number of students at Santa Claus school
Mitch Allen, founder of the Santa Claus hiring agency HireSanta.com, tells AFP that he lost 335 Santa Claus this year and estimates “more than a thousand” the number of vacancies for the season. In Denver, the Santa Claus Vocational School has seen a 25% drop in applicants over the past two years. Director Susen Mesco explains in particular that aging is an important factor in this decline: most of her students are “over 70 years old”.
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And the trend could continue, because reservations are already registered for 2022. From early November to December 24, the good years, Santas can earn between 6,000 and 10,000 dollars, explains Mitch Allen. Enough to arouse vocations!
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