A lack of laborers became a problem during the height of the pandemic and it's having an effect across Long Island.

Many businesses that rely on tourists say the lack of tourists is having a negative impact on their summer

Stu Feldschu, of Snowflake Ice Cream in Riverhead, says he has never seen a labor shortage like this in the 35 years he has owned the store.

"We'd like to stay open more hours, we're closing a little bit early and opening a little bit late just because we don't have the bodies," Feldschu says.

Tom Fletcher, associate professor of economics at Suffolk Community College, says record inflation has lowered the buying power of consumers.

He says that, and the want for many to work from home, has led to fewer people searching for jobs.

"Workers are going to make the decision, 'Is it worth it for me to go to work based on how much they're making?,'" Fletcher says. "So, often what we're going to do is advise people to bring the wages up and make cost cuts elsewhere."

Business owners, however, say their costs for everything are up.

"You put an ad out there and you may get one person come in for an interview," says Bryan DeLuca, of the Long Island Aquarium.

Experts do not think the problem is going away anytime soon. They say workers are looking for higher paying jobs and jobs with stay-at-home options.