In the US, companies are desperately looking for workers

So that the beer tasting room that has just opened in the State of New YorkPeter Chekijian has no choice but to have his key employees work seven days a week. Have trouble hire staff to ease the burden.

The brewery vats are still out of order as the subcontractors also have labor issues.

“It’s a big problem to find people to finish the job,” explains this owner of the small Twin Fork Beer brewery.

Many companies are currently having trouble recruiting staff in the United States.

More than 10 million jobs were vacant at the end of August. And the activity rate, that is, the part of people who work or seek employment, has gone from 63.3% before the pandemic to 61.6% in September.

The reasons are various. Some people fear getting the coronavirus, particularly if they have children or elderly people at home.

Others have retired early during the pandemic; others prefer to change the balance between private and professional life or are simply fed up with low wages.

And the end, in September, of the more generous unemployment benefits launched during the pandemic has not translated into a rush to employment.

“Absolute war”

At the same time, with the vaccination campaign, restaurants, tourist places and shows have reopened. And now, all dealers are gearing up for the holiday season.

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

To attract candidates, “we seek to pay as much as we can, offer a package of social benefits,” says Chekijan. You put up ads, do interviews, go to job fairs. But “it’s terribly slow.” And this “undoubtedly” slows down the growth of the company, he says.

For Maryclaire Hammond, head of human resources for the logistics company GXO, which seeks to recruit 9,000 people for the Christmas season in the United States, “there is a strong competition at all levels, an absolute war.”

To make sure packages are delivered in time for Christmas, big companies try to recruit temps at full throttle: 150,000 at Amazon, 150,000 at Walmart, 100,000 at Target, 100,000 at UPS, 90,000 at Fedex …

Robots and burritos

GXO is short of packers and handlers.

To recruit, the company uses personalized advertising on the internet and social networks, advertising panels, job fairs.

In some regions, it has increased its minimum wage from US $ 3 to US $ 5 in the last eight days, offers hiring bonuses, as well as a set of benefits (health insurance, contributions to the pension system, assumes university expenses ).

But above all you have to encourage people to stay, says Hammond.

“The current workforce is quite volatile. If the neighboring store proposes a dollar more per hour, they will change ”, he explains.

The company tries to create a good atmosphere in the warehouse. “It may seem silly, but proposing good burritos in the morning motivates people,” says the person in charge.

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

Looking for a full-time clerical job, Staci Weinsheimer, 44, feels the wind blowing in her favor.

“I have a lot of interviews, a lot of positive responses from employers,” he explains after finding several companies at a job fair attended by 27 hospitality and catering companies in Melville, New York State. “There are a lot of different positions available that maybe weren’t open five or six years ago,” he says.

Some unemployed still have trouble getting an interview or doubt the actual willingness of companies to make efforts.

“Employers could spend more money to attract candidates and improve working conditions. Those who do find it easier, ”says Aaron Sojourner.

“But many employers are reluctant to raise wages because it reduces their benefits and forces them to raise everyone,” he says. Some prefer to pay more for overtime.