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US Employers Still Facing Challenges Filling Job Vacancies

Currently, we find Americans complaining about gas shortages and vast supply chain shortages, most recently baby formula. Before supply chain shortages, we endured toilet paper shortages as Americans began hoarding all they could carry. Now though, a frequent point of contention in the United States is the ongoing labor shortage. Amid a strengthening labor market, many employers are still struggling to fill job vacancies, despite increased salaries.

At a Glance

  • U.S. job openings have approached a record high.
  • Some employers have begun to offer salaries reaching six figures, to no avail regarding efforts to fulfill job vacancies.
  • Labor intensive industrie like construction have stuggled more frequently to hire and retain employees.

Construction Among the Worst Stricken Amid Job Vacancies

Industries across the U.S. have been struggling to fill job vacancies, with loads of availability for snowplow drivers, bus drivers, U.S. Forest Rangers, and so much more. However, most recently, CBS Evening News caught up with one group of construction workers repairing a roof in Texas. And amid the current labor shortage, the industry has taken a major blow.

Interestingly, the outlet reports that, despite supply chain shortages, it isn’t actually tools the laborers are lacking. It’s fellow laborers.

“Despite salaries hitting the six figures,” the outlet’s reported remarked, “Brad Belden’s roofing company can’t find enough roofers.”

Belden shared with the reporter, “The construction industry is dirty, dangerous, and difficult, and American workers aren’t interested in doing that.”

That said, the roofing company owner said things have only worsened amid the pandemic. The CBS reporter shared with viewers the crew has 25% of the laborers they need to complete the job. To give viewers insight, he explained it will take the shrunken crew three to four times longer to complete the project.

U.S. Job Openings Reaching Record High

Clearly, the construction industry has sustained some of the worst blows when it comes to job vacancies. However, in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report that there were 11.3 million open jobs nationwide. That accounts for a little more than one and a half jobs for every unemployed individual in the U.S.

Previously, many employers were blaming extended pandemic-era unemployment benefits and stimulus packages for record job vacancies. Although, because many of those benefits concluded around the start of the new year, it doesn’t make sense to lay blame on pandemic-inspired financial benefits.

Instead, the pandemic, which forced many Americans either out of a job or to work remotely, caused those individuals to carefully consider potential job opportunities.

Deemed the Great Resignation, many workers have begun to seek out places of employment that offer better wages and benefit packages. In addition, many employees have begun to look for a better work-life balance or remote work, which, following the pandemic, has proven many jobs previously requiring employees to show up in person can actually be done from home.