Last year, Admiral Hotel owner Chad Moore said most of the applications for employment he received were from foreign workers looking for summer jobs.

This year, that changed as the economic downturn has forced many local residents to search for seasonal work and settle for jobs they wouldn't typically consider.

"We're getting a lot more local applicants this year," Moore said. "Everyone is looking for a job where they can get one."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Delaware's unemployment rate was 7.8 percent in June. That's up from 4.4 percent this time last year. Nationally, 9.7 percent of U.S. workers are out of work.

And as unemployment rates rise, Carol Everhart, executive director of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, said many foreign workers have decided to stay in their home countries this summer.

According to Everhart, the area saw upwards of 4,000 workers last year. This summer, there are closer to 1,000, she said.

"Basically, we have seen fewer foreign student workers as there are less jobs," she said. "Less jobs means less workers coming into the area."

Local residents are taking what they can get.

"This is a constantly changing dynamic that alters the supply and demand for workers," said Hugh Leahy of the Delaware Community Foundation, which helps student workers find employment.

Leahy said three factors have contributed to the decline in foreign workers: their perception of the U.S. economy, the state of their home country's economy and the dissonance between America's employment market and theirs.

"They have to make a substantial financial commitment to come here and work," he said. "If they don't perceive that as being worthwhile, they won't come."

source: delawareonline.com