Newsletter
Poll of Unemployed Americans Indicates Worker Shortage Crisis Unlikely to Ease
By Steve Bent
Less than half of Americans polled who lost their job during the pandemic and remain unemployed say they are actively and consistently looking for work, with one in five reporting that they are not looking for work at all, according to a new poll by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 56% report that they believe they can get by for more than 6 months before it becomes essential to return to full time work, with 11% saying it will be more than a year before it is necessary to return to work, and 15% saying it will never be essential.
The poll comes as businesses continue to grapple with an ongoing worker shortage crisis. The country currently has 10.4 million open jobs, and the quit rate reached an all-time high at 3% in September, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
“Every day, we see more evidence of a worsening worker shortage,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark. “With businesses across the country and in every industry struggling to find workers, it is deeply concerning that 35% of the unemployed say they are not very active in looking for work—or not looking at all. Policymakers at every level of government must act with urgency to get people back to work and help accelerate the economic recovery.”
Additional analysis by the U.S. Chamber found that quit rates were highest in accommodation and food service (6.6%); and in arts, entertainment and recreation service (5.7%). States with the largest drop in labor force participation rates since the start of the pandemic were Vermont (-4.7%age points), Nevada (-3.8) and Connecticut (-3.4). The Chamber’s poll of unemployed workers found that:
More than one in ten (13%) have left multiple jobs during the pandemic.
Among those who have held multiple jobs since April 2020, 57% held their most recent position for three months or less.
Nearly a third (32%) of unemployed workers said they would prefer to work in a different industry for their next job.
“It is increasingly clear that the workforce challenges facing our country extend beyond those induced by the pandemic and we cannot simply assume that people will return to the workforce,” said Clark. “Our continued recovery and future prosperity requires that policymakers focus on how we expand the labor force, including through addressing barriers to employment, rightsizing and targeting government benefits, and attracting more qualified workers by doubling the cap on employment-based visas.”
The formerly employed report using a combination of income sources from other members of their household (45%), stimulus payments received during the pandemic (48%), savings (47%), and unemployment benefits (36%) to get by. One-third of the formerly employed disagree with the statement that “it is essential to return to a full-time job as soon as possible.”
Did You Know…
- A comet’s tail always points away from the sun.
- If you get into the bottom of a well or a tall chimney and look up, you can see stars, even in the middle of the day.
- Everything weighs 1% less at the equator.
- In ancient times strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed.
- Strawberries and cashews are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside.
- Mickey Mouse is known as “Topolino” in Italy.
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