Small businesses across the country have reportedly fallen on hard times in recent months, but not for lack of business. Rather, they suggest that pandemic-related government handouts are keeping much-needed workers out of the labor force.
Business owners from Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, and North Carolina told the Dispatch recently that pandemic-enhanced unemployment benefits are stymieing their hiring efforts. It seems, they argued, that people would rather collect money from the government while they can instead of working in lower-wage industries such as the restaurant business.
"I've been in business for 33 years ... this is the absolute worst it's ever been," Bill Anderson, who owns Dale's Diner in Waterville, Ohio, told the news outlet. He added that it's primarily back-of-the-house employees such as dishwashers, managers, cooks that he needs.
"Usually, we'll put ads in in different locations to get people and we'll get anywhere from 6 to 12 applications in the first week or whatever and we'll get to take our pick — we'll get to pick the best of that bunch. Within the last couple of months, we don't even get a call — we don't get anything," he added.
Unable to keep up with generous unemployment benefits, Anderson closed his restaurant earlier this month. A line cook at his restaurant typically earns wages of $11 an hour, which amounts to roughly $21,000 a year for a full-time worker, he said.
But current unemployment benefits — which include $300 weekly federal payments often stacked onto similar payments made by state governments — pay much more. The Dispatch reported tha... (Read more)
Submitted 1077 days ago
Latest News