How you can help nation's labor shortage — get a job, or two
A sign at a restaurant in Schaumburg, Illinois, April 1, Credit: AP/Nam Y. Huh
Back when I was delivering pizzas for Domino's to pay for bar outings, and ordering pizzas from Domino's to recover from them, the chain gave $3 off for deliveries over 30 minutes.
It was a boon to customers who prayed for the discount, and drivers who found the price reduction fostered tips.
Domino's quit offering that discount after it lost a lawsuit filed in the 1990s that alleged at least 20 people were killed by reckless drivers who apparently cared a lot more about the company than the gang of miscreants at my store.
Now the company pushes a different $3 delivery discount … if you’ll pick up.
Or rather, Domino's, short on drivers, now charges a $3 delivery fee. From a company built on convenient delivery, this highlights an extraordinary worker shortage.
The staffing shortages hit everywhere, and cascade. When day care facilities lack staff, a parent with no help can't work. When that parent can't work as a truck driver, crucial supply chains break.
Seemingly every store, bar and restaurant has signs that say “Now Hiring,” though “Wish We Were Now Hiring But No One Applies PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE” would be more apt.
And there is always a customer grousing, “They really need to hire some help!”
Here’s an idea, sir. Consider asking for an application. BE some help, if you reasonably can.
There are 11 million openings, and half as many people looking. It's been 50 years since so few people were collecting unemployment benefits.
As Federal Reserve chair Jerome H. Powell says, the labor market is “tight to an unhealthy level.”
Demand for goods and services is high because people have cash in their pockets and equity in their homes. But workforce participation has dropped from 67% to 62% over two decades, with only one point of that drop due to the pandemic.
The shortage is not just a statistic. It represents children and seniors uncared for, governmental needs unmet, food not grown, packaged, transported and cooked, products not manufactured, businesses uncleaned, and customers grousing until we want to batter them with “Help Wanted” signs.
When the country had food shortages in times of war, the patriotic duty was “Liberty Gardens” and “meatless” and “wheatless” days. When funding ran short, the patriotic duty was buying war bonds.
When oil got tight, we were asked to set ACs to 78 degrees, and wear sweaters in winter.
And when labor shortages are leaving important deeds undone and helping drive inflation to 8%, it’s not crazy to say it would help the nation to get a job if you don’t have one, and get a second one if you do.
Impatient that grandkids haven’t arrived yet, and have some spare time and energy? Why not work in a day care while you wait? Aggravated that the restaurant run by a community member has slow service? Consider waiting tables on weekends. Encourage young people to get a job, or two, even if prosperous, because the nation needs them.
Go back to the old career for a year, or try a new adventure!
I once asked my father if he’d retire if he won the lottery and he said, “I might switch jobs, but I wouldn’t retire. Being rich doesn’t change the fact that the reason we work is … there is so much work to be done!”
So, those of us who can, let’s help out and do some.
Columnist Lane Filler's opinions are his own.
Lane Filler is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
