Monday, September 06, 2021
On Labor Day
Something interesting is happening: Even with high unemployment, there are many more jobs open than people seeking jobs.
Many people have concluded (correctly, I think) that many job seekers just don't want another lousy job with low pay, uneven hours, and boring or repetitive work. So unless employers raise pay (as many have), create stability in working conditions and a better working environment, they are going to have labor problems.
And, in a way, that is good: Employers SHOULD raise pay, create stability, and create better working conditions. It once was that unions pushed for those things, but they have been undermined in many places and industries. Now it appears there may be a movement outside of unions for those same things; rather than collective action, though, it is each individual for themselves.
Some employers, of course, believe they have a right to poorly-paid labor and are being cheated out of it somehow-- they go from blaming the workers ("lazy!") to incorrectly blaming government programs.
But... maybe this Labor Day, the value of labor is actually counting for something.
