The shortage of workers in America is no secret, and there are a myriad of reasons Help Wanted signs are popping up in seemingly every restaurant, factory, and business. Most Americans by now have experienced long wait times in restaurants, disrupted supply chains due to a shortage of truck drivers, and skeleton staff at many businesses which they frequent. If companies are going to stay afloat, they will need to adapt to survive this worker shortage crisis, and they must be willing to give new ideas a try.
The Problem has been Brewing
The problem goes beyond the pandemic and has been brewing for a while. The numbers just don’t add up. According to CNBC, there were 9.5 million Americans looking for work in June, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Additionally, there are a record high 9.2 million job openings. Statistically, there is actually a worker for each open job. On the surface, this seems like an easy fix. Match the open job with an unemployed person and all is well.
However, there is a definite mismatch between the jobs that are open and the skills the unemployed have. Minneapolis employers, for instance, told the Fed “The need for more training or education were moderate or significant challenges.” CNBC also reported, for instance, that Atlanta businesses were experiencing shortages of drivers, nurses, skilled trades workers, and IT professionals, while in Dallas there are many more open positions than qualified candidates.
The manufacturing, retail and service industries are experiencing the worst labor shortages, often because the difficult customer service interactions, physical labor, and repetitive duties are not very fulfilling for the workers. And even before the pandemic struck, managers and employers were already noticing these trends. Workers were not prepared with the skills they needed, and they were also unwilling to do repetitive, unrewarding jobs. The pandemic Super-sized the problem.
