US: Companies are desperately looking for workers – News

To keep the newly opened beer tasting room in upstate New York up and running, Peter Chekejian has no choice but to have his key employees work seven days a week. He has a hard time hiring staff and lightening the burden.

“Finding people to finish the job is a big problem,” microbrewery owner Twin Fork Bear told AFP.

Many companies are having problems recruiting new employees in the United States.

There were more than 10 million vacancies at the end of August. The activity rate, the proportion of people working or looking for a job, rose from 63.3% before the pandemic to 61.6% in September.

Why does this happen?

The reasons vary. Some people are afraid of contracting the coronavirus, especially if they have children or the elderly at home. Others retired at the start of the pandemic; They prefer to change their work-life balance or are simply tired of low wages.

Nor did the end of September of the more generous unemployment benefits launched during the pandemic translate into a rush for jobs.

At the same time, with the vaccination campaign, restaurants, tourist sites and shows have reopened. And now, all distributors are getting ready for the holiday season.

“There are a lot of employers trying to hire at the same time,” says Aaron Sojourner, an economist at the University of Minnesota. “This creates an imbalance.”

To attract applicants, “we seek to pay as much as possible (…) offer a range of social benefits,” says Chichigan. Places ads, conducts interviews, and goes to job fairs. But it is “too slow”.

‘Absolute war’

Marclair Hammond, director of human resources for logistics company GXO, which is looking to recruit 9,000 people for Christmas in the US, believes “there is tough competition on all levels…absolute war.”

To ensure packages are delivered on time for Christmas, large companies are trying to hire full-blown temporary employees: 150,000 jobs at Amazon, 150,000 at Walmart, 100,000 at Target, 100,000 at UPS and 90,000 at Fedex.

GXO has a few machinery and packaging operators.

More benefits, better salaries

In some areas, it has raised minimum wages from $3 to $5 in the past eight days, and introduced employment bonuses as well as a host of benefits — such as health insurance, Social Security contributions, and college expenses.

The company is trying to create a good environment in the warehouse. “It may sound silly, but the suggestion of good morning burritos motivates people,” says the director.

To handle the scenario, GXO has also increased task automation in its warehouses by 40% last year. “For packaging operators who have to walk up to 10 miles a day in a warehouse, a robot can help them find products more easily,” explains Hammond.