NSW lockdown causes hairdresser shortage; Bodhi Boutique urges stylists to apply for jobs

Hairdressers across NSW are desperately seeking stylists to fill job vacancies and meet demand for the peak summer period, with some salons fully booked until January.

Like hairdressers across Australia, Bodhi Boutique at Parramatta is struggling to fill positions despite the high demand for stylists to serve customers post lockdown and ahead of the peak party season.

Owner Casey Hopkinson has urged stylists to apply for jobs at the Charles St salon where she is in such demand that several customers were forced to wait till January to have their tresses cut, coloured and pampered.

But, just like the hospitality industry, she is struggling to find hairdressers.

“Some clients haven’t been able to get back in till January. We’ve been fully booked since the lockdown till Christmas,’’ she said.

“We’re desperately trying to find staff to knock over the waiting list as well.

“We’ve been trying for about 10 months to recruit and there’s such a high demand and low candidate jobs so it’s a little frustrating, because especially with Covid, everyone wants their hair done now and then have you Christmas.’’

Casey Hopkinson has been named Parramatta’s best hairdresser for the second year in a row.

Casey is seeking hairdressers to work at Bodhi Boutique Parramatta.

Her problem is not an isolated one.

Australian Hairdressing Council chief executive officer Sandy Chong said the industry had suffered a massive gap in qualifications and had been on the skills shortage list for 20 years.

It took another blow when Covid hit and many Visa workers lost their jobs.

“Especially in Parramatta, we lost a lot of our Visa workers, probably a good half and in the first half of the pandemic they weren’t entitled to JobKeeper,’’ she said.

“Then there was the uncertainty of what was going on and so we’ve lost a good half of our workers in the CBD.

“The good thing with NSW is the government has put us on the occupation list and that means that anyone who’s got an existing Visa is that they can now apply for permanent residency and that’s a help.’’

Mrs Chong believes employers need to be more astute at advertising to entice workers and provide better work conditions — she said the industry was in the top 40 of complaints lodged with the Fair Work Ombudsman over pay disputes.

“Kids nowadays want freedom, no commitment and ‘show me the money’, and businesses have to advertise lifestyle at the moment if they really want to fulfil these positions,’’ she said.

“We know they leave because they want flexible employment arrangements and unless you’re advertising that, I think you really won’t fill positions, to be honest.’’

Australian Hairdressing Council chief executive officer Sandy Chong says job advertising has be more savvy. Picture: Peter Lorimer

Small Business Women Australia founder Amanda Rose said the industry suffered a reputation of having poor pay but it was also a negative work ethic that failed to recruit hairdressers.

“People don’t realise you’ve got to start at the bottom and I think that is the biggest problem in any industry but trades in particular,’’ she said.

“It is generational in the sense of work ethic but I don’t blame them completely in the sense that it’s ‘I want better, I want great’.

“They’ve been told they can get more. They’ve been told they’re able to get straight into an amazing job at $150,000 a year, but they’re not available.

Small Business Women Australia founder Amanda Rose says workers have to have patience and work their way up. Picture: Monique Harmer

“They don’t understand, especially with apprenticeships, you’ve got to start from the bottom, like any job, so we’re not educating the students. We’ve been telling them they can have all these amazing careers but I think what they’re not communicating is the journey to get there.’’

What hairdressing hopefuls can take comfort in is the solid future in their trade.

“People have to look for the consistency of income for the job they’re going for or the career,’’ Ms Rose said.

“The thing people always need is haircuts — it’s like education, it’s like food, anything people perpetually want to pay for. There will always be a demand for it — go for a job that you know there will always be a job for you.’’

HAIRDRESSER TAKES OUT GONG TWO YEARS IN A ROW

Bodhi Boutique at Parramatta has been voted the best in its trade for the second consecutive year after we put a call out for readers to name their favourite stylist.

Casey Hopkinson was shocked to clinch the title of best hairdresser twice in two years.

“This one, I think means more to me because I thought last year was so amazing, and this year I thought ‘if I don’t get it, have I done something wrong over the past year or have I maintained it’ and this one feels so much better,’’ the stylist of 16 years said.

“It’s been such a blessing, especially having been closed for so long. To still have that support is beyond words.’’

She was excited to welcome her clients back to the salon, including nurses who make up half the client base and were in extra need of pampering.

“This time I found it really hard to not be able to see everyone, because you see them every six weeks and to go four months was terrible,’’ Miss Hopkinson said.

Along with Bodhi Boutique, clients from across the community showed their appreciation by nominating hairdressers, with Tayloring Your Hair at Wentworthville being a top contender.

To apply for a job at, call 0429 796 646.

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