My wife and I wife recently took a road trip from North Dallas TX to Taos New Mexico...
Every single gas station, retail store, hotel, diner, and small business had a “Now Hiring” or “Help Wanted” sign in their window... EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
The one in front of the McDonald’s touted the $13/hour starting wage... Surreality.
I believe it!
See my post 12.
Unrelated, but is Taos NM where there is some humming sound or something like that?
True enough. And the local free advertising papers aren’t trying to drum up business; they are almost exclusively advertising their available jobs.
This is about more than unemployment payments. Many of those jobs were filled as second jobs for spouses who are now home with the children instead of leaving them in day care. Many of those parents are not coming back.
Many of those jobs were also filled with retirees who took the opportunity to get out of the house (and out of their spouse's hair) and socialize. Once locked down, why bother?
After taxes that's what, about 9 bucks an hour? People have been making those same wages going back decades.
If employers want employees, pay more. It's not complex.
$13/hr is shiiiit wages.