Worcester Business Journal

12 Worcester Business Journal | June 7, 2021 | wbjournal.com F or Southbridge cutlery manufacturer Dexter-Russell, a post-pandemic jump in demand is already here. Human Resources Manager April Ullrich said orders have been ramping up fast since late last year. e company needs to add a second shi to meet them, but it's struggling to find enough people to hire. "I'm clamoring for employees," Ullrich said. Normally, she said, the company is known as an employer of choice in the local area. e production-floor jobs pay $15 to $17.50 with a full-benefits package. But, despite taking part in job fairs, advertising everywhere, giving bonuses to current employees who refer workers for jobs, and bringing on a second employment agency to complement the one they usually use, the demand for the jobs just isn't there. As Central Massachusetts, and the nation, recovers from the sharpest recession in its history, companies around the region are coping with the same situation. Maedon Coburn, owner of Appleseed Personnel Service Inc. in Leominster, has been matching workers with jobs for 30 years. "I have seen recessions," she said. "I've lived through 9/11. I've seen it all, and this is the worst I've ever seen." Coburn said the employers she works with, many also in manufacturing, have all raised their wages. Some have added sign-on bonuses and 30-day bonuses as well. Coburn believes some potential employees are still worried about exposure to COVID-19, since as of mid- May about 40% of people in Worcester County were fully vaccinated. But she also said the current level of unemployment benefits, including an extra $300 weekly thanks to federal COVID relief, is making some people who lost their jobs during the pandemic reluctant to get back to work. e higher unemployment payments, combined with the savings from not commuting and possibly part-time side gigs, makes taking a job in the $15/hour range unappealing. ey may not realize unemployment benefits are taxable, so in many cases the money normally automatically deducted from a paycheck must be paid back at tax time. Getting people back to work Employers are calling for changes to state policy they think could get more people into the labor market. "Hiring has been difficult. We struggle like many other companies to attract talent," said Celina Rosa, human resources manager at Imperial Distributors in Worcester. "Now with the reopening of restaurants, we are competing for the same pool of workers. It would help if Massachusetts, like other states, provided a return-to-work bonus." e $300 federal stipend is set to expire in early September, and there are already some provisions for those who get hired to continue receiving part of their unemployment benefits. But the state Senate in May rejected a proposal to give bonuses to those who return to work. Still, Jeffrey Turgeon, executive director of the MassHire Central Region Workforce Board, said unemployed people sitting on their couches are probably not to blame for a large part of the hiring squeeze. "I do hear from employers the grumblings, if you will, 'ey're getting emergency benefits so maybe they don't want to come back,'" he said. "I think that may be overblown." Of course, people have already gotten back to work. e Worcester County unemployment rate dropped from a high of 15.9% in April 2020 to 6% a year later. But prior to the COVID shock, it was hovering around 3%. Turgeon said most people in the unemployment system are eager to get back to work, but some are still trying to figure out how to deal with the ways the pandemic disrupted their lives. For example, childcare centers are only now ramping back up to full capacity, so parents may not yet have a place to send their kids while they're at work. He noted the competitive job market is giving workers more freedom to shop around. "Job seekers can be a bit more choosy about what type of industry or what type of employer," he said. As Central Mass. companies ramp up for the post-COVID recovery, they're struggling to attract employees Workers needed BY LIVIA GERSHON Special to the Worcester Business Journal April 2011 .................................... 263.9 April 2012 .................................... 265.1 April 2013 .................................... 270.6 April 2014 .................................... 275.8 April 2015 .................................... 278.7 April 2016 .................................... 283.7 April 2017 .................................... 285.7 April 2018 .................................... 288.0 April 2019 .................................... 291.7 April 2020 .................................... 243.1 April 2021 .................................... 268.1 Greater Worcester labor force The number of people working in Greater Worcester took a significant hit at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and has yet to fully recover. Notes: April is the most recent month available for data. Greater Worcester includes Worcester County and Windham County, Conn. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Total non-farm employees Month (in thousands) Total non-farm employees Month (in thousands) April Ullrich, human resources manager at manufacturer Dexter- Russell, places a "Now Hiring" sign in front of its Sturbridge facility. PHOTO/MATTHEW WRIGHT

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