The brewery vats are still out of order as the subcontractors also have workmanship problems.
“Finding people to finish the job is a big problem,” the owner of the small Twin Fork Beer brewery told AFP.
Many companies in the United States are currently having trouble hiring.
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 in the United States has not translated into a rush to employment.
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 many 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 bundle of social benefits, “says Chekijan. He puts out advertisements, does interviews, goes 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 the packages will be delivered on time for Christmas, large companies try to recruit temps at full throttle: 150,000 in Amazon, 150,000 in Walmart, 100,000 in Target, 100,000 in UPS, 90,000 in FedEx…
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 of the United States, it has increased its minimum wage from 3 to 5 dollars 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.
“Today’s workforce is quite volatile. If the neighboring store offers 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.
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 increase wages because it reduces their benefits and forces them to increase everyone,” he says. Some prefer to pay more for overtime.
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