Some stark numbers illustrate the workforce shortage employers face in every region across all industries.
In May there were
9.3 million workers unemployed and 9.2 million job openings. As the number of unemployed closes in on the number of job openings, employers will have to look beyond the native workforce. May’s Worker Availability Ratio–the ratio of available workers to job openings–was 1.2, similar to what it was before the pandemic.
The U.S. can’t meet demand for seasonal workers. In the first half of FY 2021, the Labor Department certified that American employers had
126,943 seasonal employment opportunities they could not fill with American workers. That is almost twice as large as the statutory cap for the H-2B temporary worker program. This affects landscapers, seafood processors, forestry companies, construction firms, among many others, many of which are small businesses.
Community celebrates Christmas in July
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DU QUOIN, IL (WSIL) Break out the mistletoe, hot chocolate and gifts. It s Christmas in July, for at least one community in southern Illinois.
The Du Quoin Chamber of Commerce hosted it s second annual Christmas in July, a spin-off of the Chamber s Small Business Saturday, which helps generate business inside local stores and restaurants.
Chamber of Commerce executive director Abigail Hammonds says, businesses punch a shopper s card for every $10 they spend, giving customers the chance to win prizes at the top of every hour. It is so important that we are getting people to shop local and to walk up and down our streets and just make Du Quoin alive, says Hammonds. That s why we re here, that s what the chamber is here for, to make our businesses known.