(CNN)

Talk about holiday humbug.

It looks like Santa Claus might not be coming to every small town and city this year.

A tight labor market has many people across the U.S. unable to book one of Santa's helpers to visit kids ahead of the holidays.

Many older and heavier-set men are opting-out of the job over concerns about their risk of exposure to Covid-19, especially in children who aren't yet vaccinated.

Virtual or video visits are one solution that many are using to address the Santa shortage.