Labor Day weekend, Fort Myers Beach (WINK News) Seeing a big turnout this Labor Day weekend is great news after the pandemic caused many of your holiday plans to be canceled this summer. The chance to go out during this time is not only a positive for you and your loved ones, but also for our local businesses. It’s nothing new seeing large groups out gathering for Labor Day weekend, but back on July 4 when we saw people doing just that on our beaches, COVID-19 numbers in our area spiked. From what we’re told, beaches didn’t look much different on Saturday. In fact, the owner of Mangoritas told us the other day they’re still getting plenty of visitors over from the east coast. So much so that business is booming for him and their sales are up from last year. “Going into this month, we’re hopeful that we can carry this success into this month also,” said owner Jason Ingream. Everyone we spoke to said they’re not concerned about numbers going back up after this weekend. Most people say going out to places like the beach or being out on the boat this weekend gives them the chance to social distance and they say if they’re out in Collier or Fort Myers Beach, they’re okay with having to wear masks to get into shops and restaurants. While this holiday weekend is a period for people to relax and enjoy, for others, it’s shadowed by the financial impacts brought on by the pandemic. Unemployment may be down, but many in our community are still struggling. The line of cars at food distributions are still long — cars with people, parents, who are really starting to feel the pressure of not having a steady income. The good news is there are plenty of places that are hiring in our area, but as one manager told us, you have to be willing to try something new. “It’s only your own fear that’s keeping you from going to another industry because I have people working here that knew nothing about motorcycles a month ago and they’re making a good living for their family,” said Alex Rodriguez, sales manager for Sun Sports Cycle and Watercraft. He even told us his top salespeople this month were employees who had no previous experience in the industry. He also said he’s been interviewing more people now than ever and the competition out there is steady. For a list of who’s hiring in our area, click here. For unemployment resources, click here.