Santa Shortage

Representatives of different rent-a-Santa Claus services sign a code of honour in Berlin November 13, 2008.

Holiday Season without Santa is unimaginable. Well, it may become a reality this year.

Germany is running out of qualified Santa Clauses and needs to recruit and train them fast, a leading job agency says. There is an acute shortage of Santas to entertain children at shopping malls, community centers, etc. This is what you see:

Wanted: Cheerful, chubby men, preferably with fluffy white beards and no criminal record, ready to work hard for one month.

The job center wants its Santas to be child-friendly, good organizers, reliable and have acting skills. They also need a clean police record.

“Being Santa is not an easy job,” Jens Wittenberger, in charge of Santa Claus recruitment at the Jobcafe Munich, told Reuters Monday. “To be honest, not many people have what it takes to be a good Father Christmas.”

In these times of economic turmoil people are having a difficult time in trying to keep their traditions alive. However, it may not be a bad deal for the unemployed since a Santa can make $75 (60 Euros) an hour!

While recruiters are looking out for Santas, many fear a holiday may bring bad news that might make their return to their jobs difficult — or impossible. Many executives in India and elsewhere in world are letting go of their paid leaves and cancelling on their holiday vacations due to fear of lossing their jobs. This is the season when hardly 50% people report to work.