Why Haven’t People Returned to Work?
The pandemic has caused many Americans to stay inside their homes for over a year. This resulted in the general decline of the economy. Many of us experienced small businesses closing up due to the state of the country. As a result, our President(s) granted qualifying Americans stimulus checks. The Peter G. Peterson Foundation reported three rounds of stimulus checks through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the Consolidation Appropriation Act, and the American Rescue Plan for a total of $867 billion in Covid-19 relief.
On top of stimulus checks, many Americans also received the benefits of unemployment. USA Today stated that those who were unemployed received $300 more than what they would normally get from unemployment as part of Covid-19 relief. USA Today reported that 13% of recipients of jobless benefits turned down jobs because of the benefits they were receiving. However, these benefits are going to stop soon.
USA Today also reported an increase in career changes. The pandemic has made people realize that they want to work in jobs that have fewer health risks and involve less travelling. This is causing many to leave their current jobs and take up other ones that may require more time for training. The process of quitting one job, looking for another, and then training for a new one is time-consuming.
On campus, many of us have experienced labor shortages as well. During the first week that school was open, many may have noticed the use of paper plates at Dana. This is a result of fewer workers because that is one less dish washer. Along with this, the NorthStar Café is now closed at 10 whereas it used to be open until 12 a.m. in previous semesters. This is another direct impact of the recent shortages.
President Morris seems to be aware of the labor situation as well based on Covid-19 updates she sends the campus. In an email sent out on Monday Sept. 6, Morris states, “Labor shortages in the North Country further exacerbate our challenges in getting people where we need them most—caring for our students and sustaining our operations.” The shortages seem to be affecting the campus’s Covid-19 procedures because according to Morris, “if case numbers continue to climb, we will lack the human resources necessary to operate the health center, our testing clinics, and our limited, on-campus isolation spaces.” It seems that there is a struggle to get people to work on our campus.
Jayson McLarrin, a Dunkin’ manager in Potsdam, NY, states, “Labor shortages have required my crew and I to put in more hours. It adds more stress to our daily lives.” McLarrin is a father of young girls and has been working more hours to fill the labor vacancies. He also stated, “The shortages have increased our drive-thru times and made it difficult for us to fully complete tasks as required.” The stress of the labor shortages seems to be affecting the personal lives of employees as well as the company as a whole, resulting in slower services. So, the next time you’re sitting in the drive-thru for a burger, think about the staff struggling to run it.