WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND
By Scott Hennen
Host of “What’s On Your Mind?” Radio Show heard on KTGO-1090AM and KFYR-550AM
Co-owner of Flag Family Media and the McKenzie County Farmer
The help-wanted signs are literally everywhere. I’m not aware of a business that isn’t in need of people. Some businesses are closing early because they don’t have enough staff to stay open. I recently pulled into a convenience store that is part of a national chain at 5 p.m. on a weekday and they were shut down. The note on the door said “Closing at 5 p.m. due to no staff.” This is crazy! Yet that’s far from unusual. It’s happening everywhere.
Recent news had another troubling statistic: The U.S. labor force participation rate fell for the third straight month in November. There is your smoking gun. The ongoing struggle for businesses to find enough workers can be summed up by a simple supply and demand problem. There are more jobs than workers. Bloomberg reports: