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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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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