Some theories behind the worker shortage
More workers should have Labor Day off
The Front Page
Morning Update
Monday, September 6, 2021
Labor Day
By Ken Tingley
The one thing holding back our economic recovery is a shortage of workers. That has been especially evident in tourist areas like Lake George, especially without foreign college workers to pick up the slack.
Wages for minimum wage jobs have gone up significantly, but it has not solved the shortage of help.
Heather Long, Alyssa Fowers and Andrew Van Dam, three journalists who cover the economy, addressed the issue head on this past week with an essay in The Washington Post titled, “Why America has 8.4 million unemployed when there are 10 million job openings.”
It is an important question with a lot of possibilities that aren’t necessarily obvious or easy to measure.
What the three journalists wrote went a long way toward defining what may be happening:
“At heart, there is a massive reallocation underway in the economy that’s triggering a “Great Reassessment” of work in America from both the employer and employee perspectives,” they wrote this past week. “Workers are shifting where they want to work — and how. For some, this is a personal choice. The pandemic and all of the anxieties, lockdowns and time at home have changed people. Some want to work remotely forever. Others want to spend more time with family. And others want a more flexible or more meaningful career path. It’s the “you only live once” mentality on steroids. Meanwhile, companies are beefing up automation and redoing entire supply chains and office setups.”
It’s just part of what they had to say, but it is a reminder that the world is complicated and that it continues to change dramatically under our feet. Maybe, what is most important to remember is that the pandemic has changed the way many people think about work and their lives.
Some people want more fulfilling lives, a better balanced between family and work where they get to see their children and spouses more often and a better future. Nothing wrong with that.
That something we should all think about on Labor Day.
Happy Labor Day
Happy Labor Day. That is, unless you have to work.
I suspect that irony is lost on many people. The first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882 in New York City in conjunction with plans by the Central Labor Union to celebrate the gains to protect workers.
New York was the first state to celebrate Labor Day and 23 more states adopted it as a holiday in 1884. President Grover Cleveland made it a national holiday that same year.
When I was growing up, our family held a big reunion each year that often exceeded 100 people. We barbecued burgers, drank soda, played horseshoes and chose sides for an annual softball game in an old-fashioned cow pasture.
That’s how I like to remember Labor Day: With dusk settling and a chill in the air as we all said goodbye, at least until next year. I’ll bet there aren’t that many picnics anymore.
Too many people have to work.
Lake George is having its final tourist gasp of the summer and the racetrack is open in Saratoga - to celebrate Labor Day. The grocery stories and outlets are all open.
It seems wrong.
If we’re going to celebrate Labor Day, a lot fewer people should have to work.
Painting
I have always taken the Golden Gate Bridge approach to painting the outside of my house. It is a project that is ongoing and never ends.
I try to paint one side of the house each year and I usually do it in September when temperatures are mild and the sun not too hot.
This past weekend, I was painting the largest side of my house. It calls for me to get high up on an extension ladder where I can barely reach the peak of the house. I’m starting to realize I’m getting too old for this.
At one point this weekend, I got to the top of the ladder and wondered if I had finally lost my nerve. I persevered, but I was happy when I could paint from the ground again.
More sacrifice
Six years ago when Derek Jeter delivered a win for the New York Yankees with a single in his final at-bat at Yankee Stadium, I vowed I would be there in person when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
But I never anticipated a world-wide pandemic. Last year’s induction for Jeter was canceled. The crowds will gather in Cooperstown on Wednesday and Jeter will finally be inducted.
I’ve decided to watch it on television.
I also took a pass on the races at Saratoga this year as well.
Life goes on.
I guess I just wanted to make sure it goes on for me.
Books are arriving
Those that preordered my book “The Last American Editor” will be happy to know that the books were mailed out last week. I asked everyone to take a selfie with the book and post it on social media. One of my readers actually did it, too.
A second reader, sent me a complimentary note about the look and organization of the book, but more importantly, he was drawn in by one of the stories and wrote the following:
