"If schools are not able to open robustly and to stay open, it will make it very difficult for caretakers to rejoin the workforce." "I'm particularly worried about schools," said Cecilia Rouse, who leads the president's Council of Economic Advisers. Unfortunately, the latest jump in coronavirus infections could jeopardize that timeline. Workers are feeling burnout, but relief in the form of additional hires may be hampered by the delta variantįorecasters have been counting on more people coming back to work this fall, as vaccination rates rise, supplemental unemployment benefits run out in states where they haven't already ended, and schools reopen, offering relief to working parents. The burrito chain Chipotle, for example, raised prices 3.5% to 4% this summer, after boosting its average pay to $15 an hour. But many employers are passing along the added cost in higher prices, which is contributing to rising inflation. The competition among employers has been good for workers' pocketbooks, as average wages have risen. So we skipped that trip and that's money that we didn't spend elsewhere." "I was going to take my kid to the local amusement park until I talked to a friend and heard that lines were so long because they had one worker operating two rides because they couldn't find enough staff. "I'll give you a personal example," says Sarah House, an economist at Wells Fargo. But with labor shortages so widespread, some consumer spending is lost for good. If short-staffing forces a restaurant to close its doors one day a week, customers might just go down the street to another dining spot. An amusement park worker operating two rides! "It's like a giant game of musical chairs, and it's taking everyone longer than usual to find a good seat for themselves."Įventually, Stevenson says, that extended search is likely to result in workers finding better jobs, where they'll be happier and more productive. "There is just more churn than normal," says Betsey Stevenson, a former White House economist who is now at the University of Michigan. Some economists are not bothered by that. "People who would normally function as bartenders, it feels to me like they're all out there going out to festivals and traveling the country and living out their passion and stuff." "I've had lots of conversations with colleagues and we just say, 'Where did they go? Did they become independently wealthy during the pandemic?' " Boninsegna says. Now, the few people who do apply often don't even show up for an interview. "It's sad and it's disappointing, especially after sitting empty for so long," says Boninsegna, co-owner of The Kitchen in Columbus, Ohio.īefore the pandemic, Boninsegna says, she used to have plenty of applicants for bartending and serving jobs. "We can only fill 75% of our order requirements due to the labor shortage," one factory manager told the Institute for Supply Management last month.Īnne Boninsegna, who runs an eating and event space, has even said "no" to some wedding parties and bridal showers because she can't hire enough servers or bartenders. And that's creating challenge for companies as they try to keep pace with rapidly growing demand. But millions of people who were working before the pandemic are still on the sidelines. Even wedding and bridal showers are getting a "no"īusinesses have been hiring rapidly, adding more than 1.8 million workers just in June and July.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |