Worker Shortage Could Reach Turning Point in September [PODCAST]

The United States is seeing a worker shortage in many industries including manufacturing, retail, hospitality and virtually everything else. Patti Gartland and Gail Cruikshank from the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation joined me on WJON today. Patti is the President of the organization and says based on their labor force availability study that employers responded to say when the $300 a week supplemental employment benefit runs out in September that will trigger a turning point in the worker shortage. Gartland feels many people are choosing to allow for their unemployment benefits to run out before returning to the workforce.

Based on the findings from the labor force availability study that says 56% of employers say expanded unemployment benefits is the reason for the workforce shortage, and 44% say it's because of Government stimulus checks. 28% of employers are cutting back on expansion, 23% are looking to fill 14 or more openings with $15-$20 per hour jobs the most difficult to fill. The statistics show 14 companies considered relocating their company, 43% of respondents reported less that half of the applicants invited for an interview followed through with the interview and only 22% said their newly hired employees remained on the job after 30 days.

Gail Cruikshank is the Talent Director for the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation. She says employers are responding with increased overtime for the employees they do have, limiting their service time/hours of operation and are reducing their production. Cruikshank says GreaterStCloudJobSpot.com has almost 7,000 jobs available in the St. Cloud region. Opportunities are also their for people to change careers.

Gail Cruikshank joins me the 3rd Monday of each month at 8:15 a.m. on WJON.