Staffing up during the pandemic: a few tips

Many employers were optimistic earlier in the year when the COVID-19 vaccination program ramped up in a big way and case counts seemed to be on the decline. Restrictions were eased, and light seemed to appear at the end of the tunnel.

But then came the delta variant, bringing a new surge of illness, hospitalizations, deaths, and fear. All of that complicates a return to the office and efforts to fill vacancies, leading employers in an array of industries to explore how to navigate a lingering labor shortage and how long the problem will persist.

Skills gap part of the problem

When the pandemic hit the United States in a big way in early 2020, the jobless rate soared. But now, late in 2021, many employers are working to resume prepandemic operations and they need to hire back many who were initially thrown out of work. That's proving to be a challenge, however. Employers in a number of fields remain frustrated they can't hire enough workers.

Some blame enhanced unemployment benefits that enabled many to get by without going back to work. Those benefits have now ended, but employers still struggle to fill openings. The continuing threat to health keeps others from reentering the workplace, and unpredictable school and childcare schedules are keeping still more off the job.

There are no doubt other causes of the labor shortage, but one reason noted in a recent report from Internet job site Monster—The Future of Work: 2021 Global Outlook—is a worsening skills gap. Monster's research found nearly a third of employers believe the skills gap has increased over the last year.