Nowadays, as economies roar out of lockdown, the tables appear to have turned.
Similar tales are also playing out in Sydney, a city that had a headstart of a few weeks on the Victorian capital in easing restrictions.
The surge in labour demand extends across many sectors and regions, and had Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe this week predicting the jobless rate looks to be headed to 4% by 2023 from 5.2% last month.
Employer groups have demanded borders be reopened and for the migrant intake to be expanded.
For Waan Bransgrove, operator of the KnickKnack Cafe in central Sydney, revenue is barely meeting their $5,000 a month rental bill.
That hospitality outlets can be in fierce competition for staff even as shopping centres are pockmarked by shop closures hints at underlying problems with the industry, according to a common refrain among those Guardian Australia spoke to.
Gomez at the Canopy, for instance, worked in human relations in France before moving to Australia two-and-a-half years ago. Once his English is up to scratch, he would happily return to that profession.
