LISTEN: Why There's A Labor Shortage Amid The Pandemic Reopening

Connecticut Public Radio | By John Henry Smith

Published June 21, 2021 at 6:52 AM EDT

Christine and Steve Schwartz interview job candidates in a parking lot outside their business, Express Employment Professionals in Shelton. Christine Schwartz says with the extra $600 unemployment benefit running out, more people are looking for work.

If you pay attention to the news, you’ve no doubt heard often in recent months something to the effect of, “Despite high unemployment numbers nationwide, businesses can’t find enough workers as they try and reopen.” To help us take a deeper dive beyond that headline, All Things Considered welcomed a labor economist to the program. He is Central Connecticut State University associate professor Brian Osoba. Among other things, Osoba delves into the question of whether the extra unemployment benefits given out during the pandemic are to blame for the labor shortage.

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