file photo by ArtChick
Updated on June 25, 2017 at 7:19 AMPosted on June 25, 2017 at 7:18 AM
BY AMANDA HOOVER
For NJ.com
With the 4th of July just around the corner, families are getting ready to kickoff the summer at the Jersey Shore — and so are the hundreds of people up and down the state who don red suits and spend their summers perched by the ocean, eyes fixed on the waves, waiting to make a move if any of the swimmers appear in distress.
But in recent years, finding qualified — and enough — lifeguards to fill those stands has become more challenging for New Jersey’s beach patrols. Coastal living expenses, demanding college athletic programs and a difficult job market post-graduation are partially to blame.
