SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Transit Authority still can't find enough workers to keep public transportation running and they're pulling out all the stops to attract operators, especially in Salt Lake County.
Operators are needed for buses and trains that run throughout Utah. Without staff, UTA passengers have to deal with longer wait times.
Right now, 50 people are needed to keep public transportation in motion in Salt Lake County.
There are also needs for staff in Davis and Weber counties, but those systems aren't as strained. Utah County is properly staffed.
"The good news is that we are actually adding operators now," explained Carl Arky, a UTA representative. "Instead of having losses of operators, I think we are up plus five or so in the last couple of weeks."
Arky cited the pandemic as the main reason why staffing has been such a challenge and says UTA has been pulling out all the stops to try and attract potential workers.
That includes helping people get their commercial driver's license and wages of up to $28 an hour, which is about a three-dollar increase from the past.
In addition, a new UTA program is helping operators learn how to speak English.
"We are trying to compete with the other companies that are also offering good wages now," Arky explained. "And very low unemployment rate...so there are very few people who don't have jobs right now."
Officials report Utah's unemployment rate is around 2.3%, which is significantly below the national unemployment rate of 3.7%.
