The Labor Shortage... and what it means for prospective employees

Since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, an ENORMOUS labor shortage has hit the U.S. economy. Simply put... there are more jobs available than unemployed Americans. This has effected dozens of industries, and has created major implications for businesses. Small businesses to the largest fortune 500 companies ALL need more workers to continue fulfilling their promises to customers. There isn't a specific segment either. Professional positions to blue collar workers are all needed to get our supply chain back on track & expedite lead times that have doubled/tripled for many industries. Moreover, this will allow our economy to provide for the most basic needs that we ALL enjoy like car parts, air conditioner manufacturing, stocked grocery stores, & so much more. We all depend on Americans working to play their part... and it's one solution to unclogging the backed up ports with 100's of ships off the coast of California just waiting to be unloaded. There are approximately 10 million available positions in the USA as of 9/4/2021, but only 8.1 million unemployed Americans meaning there are more jobs than people to fill them. (Reference this Washington Post Article for more details.) So even if everyone gets back to work... we still have nearly 2 million jobs to fill!

So what does this mean for prospective job seekers? It means you're living through one of the BEST times to embark on a job hunt & start your career. Why? Finally workers have significant collective bargaining power. We're seeing them exert that influence now. In short, companies are willing to pay more, have lowered hiring standards, and offer benefits & perks that were not previously offered for the same positions available now. They just need to get more workers in the door. Job seekers that once were declined for positions, are now seeking & getting those same positions. People are making more money and getting more perks out of their jobs making this a critical time for job seekers to get active on this front. USA residents can now lean into career paths that interest them... instead of just landing another boring, low-paying job. Opportunities abound, and stakes couldn't be higher. America needs more people to get back to work for the well-being of our communities, and employers are stepping up to the plate to fill those positions, handsomely rewarding those who decide to come on board. All in all... there is no better time in American History to go job hunting and start into a career.

A great place to start is with an experienced staffing agency like Priority Placements Group. To get started on your career path today, apply with PPG HERE.