After fears about a possible shortage of toys in France, the United States is experiencing a whole other shortage for the holidays: it has become almost impossible to recruit Santa Claus, according to the Washington Post.
The hiresanta.com platform, through which companies are put in contact with these seasonal actors, indicates that the calendars of all his Santa Claus were full from the beginning of November.
Media Insider reports that hiresanta.com saw a 121% increase in the number of requests, compared to 2020 and 2019. But at the same time, the number of available Santas has fallen by 10%.
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Aged, coated … they are vulnerable to Covid
If people used to this role have decided not to take it this year, it is because some fear the Covid-19. Rather old and possibly overweight, they are among the people most vulnerable to the disease. Seeing dozens of children, not necessarily vaccinated, parading on their knees can therefore be worrying.
Timothy Connaghan, who holds the honorary title of “National Santa” and who annually provides statistics on his fellow Santa Claus, told Washington Post that 18% of them would not exercise this activity this year.
Also interviewed by the newspaper, a lady who works in an association in Texas said that she had to contact about fifty people before finally finding a man to hire for the photoshoots with the children: “I considered asking my husband to do so. “
In addition, red suits are also difficult to find across the Atlantic, due to delays in deliveries.
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The opportunity to see different Santa Claus?
If this situation can push employers to fall back on less competent candidates, who will not be able to make children dream, the Washington Post nevertheless underlines the fact that this would be an opportunity to see the emergence of Santas with more diverse profiles, such as men of a different skin color, with disabilities, or who speak languages other than English.
In France, no figure has been communicated to know if the same problem is to be feared.
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