Over the last two years, the pandemic has had a drastic impact on the U.S. labor market. In what’s been dubbed “The Great Resignation,” workers are retiring early, choosing not to return to the workforce after layoffs and quitting their jobs in record numbers to seek out more fulfilling, higher-paying opportunities in other industries. As a result, demand for labor is surging and the competition for workers is fierce.
Our community is no exception. The results of our 2022 Wage Survey show that the pandemic has aggravated the decades-long personnel crisis by making workers even harder to find. “Hiring a trained technician, especially in an area of the country where there are no training programs, has been challenging for years. But, after the pandemic hit, even finding quality employees with no experience has become extremely difficult,” says Cindy Kelly, Co-Owner, 5280creations, Thornton, CO.
Dozens of respondents echo this sentiment, saying good workers have disappeared from the labor pool and the ones who remain have found other types of work that pay more or offer better work-life balance. In fact, 43% of all respondents say they’re currently understaffed which is directly impacting their ability to grow, or even keep up with current demands.
