Federal restaurant aid runs dry, leaving many owners hungry for more By Megan Cerullo, Sarah Ewall-Wice
Updated on: May 25, 2021 / 4:19 PM / MoneyWatch New steps in Biden s COVID response
New York City restaurant owner Philippe Massoud desperately needs a cash infusion from the federal grant program set up to save businesses like his. But he s not counting on one. It s completely vital because right now on the books, with all the money that s owed and that s not forgivable, we ll all be walking around with a chain and ball for God knows for how long, Massoud said of his restaurant s financial predicament after more than a year of operating under pandemic restrictions.
By Tony Perkins | May 12, 2021 | 5:06pm EDT
Joe Biden hosts a campaign event. (Photo credit: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
The evidence of it is everywhere at restaurants, factories, construction sites, even want ads. A couple in Chattanooga couldn t even go out to dinner without being greeted by a sign that read: We are short staffed. Please be patient..No one wants to work anymore.
In Indiana, the head of a trailer company told reporters, I ve never seen it this bad. Employers offer to pay more, give night and weekend incentives, and still they can t seem to find any applicants. There s too much free money sitting out there to stay home, one said. And if something doesn t change and fast the worker shortage will be the least of America s worries.
Print this article President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the April jobs report from the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., May 7, 2021.
(Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
On the menu today: As the Biden administration is mystified by low hiring last month, we’re left wondering if they’ve tried talking to employers; Meanwhile, already-high gas prices are expected to jump again, in part because hackers have managed to shut down the most important oil pipeline on the East Coast; and in sad news, a farewell to a former boss.
‘The Government Is My Main Competitor Right Now’
President Joe Biden said that anyone taking unemployment who gets offered a suitable job must take it
Biden didn t say specifically what he meant by a suitable job but noted companies that provide fair wages and safe work environments will find plenty of workers
Comes after experts revealed that people making $32,000 before COVID could now earn more from benefits Anyone collecting unemployment, who is offered a suitable job must take the job or lose their unemployment benefits, Biden said
White House blamed other factors for people not taking jobs
Those include lack of access to the coronavirus vaccine, schools remaining closed, childcare needs, and the need for a livable working wage