Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 7, 2021 | Worcester Business Journal 13 We can't get quality job candidates Is your company able to fill open jobs with quality candidates? Despite unemployment hovering between 6-7% locally and nationally, many employers are saying they are having a hard time finding people for open positions, particularly in industries like manufacturing where demand has risen during the pandemic. Among the contributing factors cited for this phenomenon are higher, federally subsidized unem- ployment checks; workers with children being unable to send them to school; others permanently leaving the workforce; and the candidate pool not having the right training. When polled online, nearly three out of four WBJ readers said they are not getting enough good candidates to fill their job openings. COMMENTS Yes, although there are fewer candidates and it takes more time than it used to 13% F L AS H P O L L S 6% Yes, we are getting a solid number of resumes. "As long as the government continues to pay people an excessive amount to not work, unemployment will remain unnecessarily high." "Same here. People are making too much money on unemployment and sooner or later, our companies will pay higher unemployment taxes!" Our company is not hiring right now. No, we are really struggling to fill our openings. 74% at's a change from much of the 21st century so far, when the supply of workers oen outpaced demand. at le workers limited choices and oen prevented wages from keeping up with rising costs of living. For example, in inflation- adjusted terms, the median rent in Massachusetts climbed 17% between 2001 and 2018, while the household income of the median renter fell 3%, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Keeping wages high When it comes to wages, though, employers worry about setting a standard eventually hurting their competitiveness. Caitlyn Carolan, president of the Worcester Restaurant Group, said many companies got money through the federal bailout Paycheck Protection Program. "Part of what you need to spend that on is payroll, so people have money to pay several dollars more per hour," she said. But, she added, "a year from now you still have to pay people the same amount. It's just a matter of, can everybody sustain what they're doing?" Carolan said restaurants will eventually have to pass increases in their costs on to diners, which isn't a popular prospect. "I don't think the customer wants to come in and spend $40 for a chicken dish," she said. But, she said, right now the priority is getting dining rooms back up to full capacity, whatever that takes. "We're exercising all our options," she said. "We're actively hiring for all positions." B.T.'s Fried Chicken & BBQ opened its Worcester location near the start of the pandemic, although its dinig room remained closed. PHOTO/GRANT WELKER Caitlyn Carolan, president of the Worcester Restaurant Group W Customers gather outside the Apple store at the Solomon Pond Mall in Marlborough. Even during the height of the pandemic, some retailers still attracted crowds of customers. PHOTO/GRANT WELKER People are disincentivized to work What is the No. 1 factor for the lack of quality job candidates? In the last WBJ reader poll, 74% of respondents said they were struggling to find quality job candidates for open positions, which is a phenomenon being felt nationwide, despite unemployment hovering between 6-7%. A number of factors have been attributed to this problem, including lingering effects of the pandemic, the extra $300 in federal unemployment benefits, problems with child care, and available workers not having the training for the open jobs. When polled online, the majority of WBJ readers said the main reason for the lack of job candidates is enhanced federal unemployment benefits. COMMENTS 1% The extra federal unemployment benefits are a disincentive for people to work. The extra federal unemployment benefits allow candidates to be choosier in picking new jobs. Workers searching for jobs don't have the proper training for the available positions. Lack of schools and/or child care options for working families. People are still wary of the coronavirus pandemic. Employees have left the workforce (retired, gone to graduate school, become stay-at-home parents, etc.) Potential workers are waiting until they are fully vaccinated. Other (Leave a comment) "Competition for limited available candidates, qualified and available for employment in the open positions at the offered salary range." - Barry M. Maloney "The issue is finding a job with a livable wage." 7% 8% 15% 4% 10% 57% 4% 3%

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