Even though hiring has not quite met expectations, there are more jobs open than ever before in the U.S. The Labor Department says that at the end of March 2021 there were a record 8.1 million job openings. And, new data shows that the most growth is happening in industries like construction, manufacturing, arts, and hospitality. However, businesses say they are struggling to find people who are able and willing to take the roles. The employment deficit continues to be a struggle across the country, but what is to blame?
Some may be still cautious of COVID-19 or may not be immunized. While economists say that others may still not have access to consistent childcare. However, the overwhelming majority of people remaining unemployed is due to the fact that they still want to take advantage of expanded jobless benefits while they last.
In many cases across the country, expanded jobless benefits outweigh the income of an employed person. Take a look at this breakdown from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
This illustrates that those individuals who were working a minimum wage job are actually taking home more now with assistance by over 150%. Whereas those individuals who were working a higher-wage job, are only receiving 60-80% of their typical wages, further explaining the motivation, or lack thereof, for individuals to reenter the workforce as we exit the season of COVID-19.
President Biden rejected to cease the $300-a-week unemployment benefits extension included in the American Rescue Plan. But state legislators are taking matters into their own hands in efforts to shorten the gap between unemployment rates and employers who are desperate for employees.
As of May 6, 2021, Governor McMaster of South Carolina has directed the Department of Employment and Workforce to stop all federal unemployment programs claiming the week ending June 26, 2021.
Meanwhile, In North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced that all existing claimants of unemployment benefits will be required to fulfill work search requirements beginning June 6, 2021, in order to continue to receive reparations. All existing claimants will be required over the next several weeks to register with a jobseeker account on NCWorks.gov.
If you or someone you know is in search of a job of any kind in the Carolinas, Performance Staffing Solutions is here to help! You can contact us here, or look for our job postings on NCworks and SCworks.
