High demand for Santa Claus nationwide

(LEX 18) — It looks like Santa Claus might not be coming to every small town and city this year.

A tight labor market has many people across the U.S. unable to book one of Santa’s helpers to visit kids ahead of the holidays.

The head of a professional Santa Claus school in Denver says the region is down about 10-15% of Santas this year.

While other Santa-staffing agencies say the demand is up over 120%.

One issue is that many older and heavier-set men are opting-out of the job over concerns about their risk of exposure to COVID-19, especially in children who aren’t yet vaccinated.

Virtual or video visits are one solution that many are using to address the Santa-shortage.