8 Worcester Business Journal | October 11, 2021 | wbjournal.com
Fair wages
Facing a labor shortage, employers in low-wage
industries may be forced to raise their salaries
BY MONICA BENEVIDES
Worcester Business Journal Senior Staff Writer
W
hen employers set
wages, a lot of factors
go into the decision.
ey ask
themselves a variety
of questions, including what they can
afford, what is industry standard, what's
the market rate for the position, and, in
some cases: Is this a living wage?
e idea of a living wage, however,
is fickle. ere is no clear, agreed-upon
definition for what it means.
"It's really not a number … It's
an amount of money that people
need to earn in order to have an
acceptable standard of living," said
Alexander Smith, associate professor
and economics program director at
Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
From his perspective, that means
bringing in enough money to pay for
reliable, safe housing, cover necessities
like food and health care, and have a
little extra room in the budget to save
and cover unexpected expenses, like
surprise medical needs. In places like
Worcester, where public transportation
is imperfect, that standard of living
likely includes affording a vehicle.
As employers lament persistent
staffing shortages brought on by the
Hospitality wages
The sector with the third greatest number
of job openings as of the end of July was
the accomodation and food services
sector.
Waiters and waitresses $23,540
Fast food cooks $24,390
Hotel, motel, and resort
desk clerks $25,370
Restaurant cooks $28,720
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Job 2020 median annual wages
Volturno PIzza Napoletana in Worcester put up dividers to protect staff and customers.
Welly's Restaurant in Hudson
was busy after the coronavirus
restrictions began to be lifted.
PHOTOS/GRANT WELKER
