By Risa Brim
The Associated Press

LEXINGTON - Mia Clark spends her days clipping, curling, coloring, braiding, shampooing and shaving the hair of dozens of clients each week.

A mother of four, the 30-year-old plans to graduate from Lexington Beauty College in September.

Before then, she's got to make some tough decisions.

While many other recent graduates are struggling to find work in the tough job market, Clark has five job offers to mull over.

The Lexington resident and Army veteran is one of the thousands of cosmetologists being sought by salons nationwide as owners try to fill open positions at beauty shops, barber shops, skin-care and nail salons and day spas.

A shortage of stylists in Lexington has forced the salons to try to lure graduating students with lucrative benefits.

"This is one of the hottest professions to be in right now," said Luther Farmer, director and senior instructor at Kaufman Beauty School in Lexington.

"Stylists can practically name their price and some salon is going to give it to them."

Nationwide, the shortage has led to a zero-percent unemployment rate for cosmetologists, according to the National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences.

A commission survey showed that in 2002, there were 1.6 million cosmetologists employed at the nation's roughly 313,000 beauty salons, barber shops, skin-care and nail salons and day spas.

Also in 2002, the average income for stylists, based upon a typical 50 percent commission factor, was $18.08 an hour, while salon owners averaged $24.36 an hour.

Ann Halloran, director of Lexington Beauty College, said each member of her last graduating class had at least five job offers.

"Even after they take a job, there are salons trying to steal them away," she said. "The competition between the top salons can be pretty cutthroat."

Michael Meehan of Planet Salon, which has two Lexington locations and employs about 70, said the demand has made it harder for salon owners to keep top-notch stylists.

"There's just a lot of turnover for stylists," he said. "Because of the shortage, there are enough jobs for them to move from salon to salon. You can invest a lot of time and money in a stylist, and another salon can swoop in and snatch them."

Clark, one of the most sought-after students at Lexington Beauty College, plans to take her license exam with the state Board of Hairdressers and Cosmetologist in October.

Wherever she goes, Clark will take along with her a strong following of more than 20 regular clients.

"Eventually, I'd like to open my own shop," she said. "Until then, it is nice to have so many jobs to choose from."