Weekly Hourly Hiring Report 9/21/21

How COVID-19 is affecting hourly work

Weekly Hourly Hiring Report 9/21/21

Highlights

Overall jobs are up 93% compared to pre-pandemic norms, with 7% month over month growth and 82% year over year growth. Google searches for hourly jobs are flat year over year. 

The tight labor market persists despite the end of pandemic-era supplemental unemployment benefits, and employers are navigating new factors —such as the holiday hiring crunch, the confusion of cold/flu season mixed with rising COVID-19 cases and escalating consumer trepidation.

Many businesses are choosing between a handful of imperfect options—leaving consumer demand unmet by reducing hours of operation, finding a way to offer higher wages and benefits to attract candidates or working current staff more at the risk of increasing turnover.

Here’s what we’re tracking this week:

Vaccine mandates and their impact on hourly workers

• A Washington Post-ABC News poll released over the weekend reported that 16% of the working Americans surveyed said they are unvaccinated and would quit if their employer required them get vaccinated.

• In New York City, where vaccinations are required for restaurant employees, workers are leaving for jobs in industries like retail or hospitality, which don't currently have mandates.

Childcare is the leading challenge for parents considering returning to work  

• Child care across the country is operating at 88% of its pre-pandemic capacity. 

• The biggest reason for the shortage, according to childcare providers across the country, is they can’t find people to hire. 8 in 10 providers said they were experiencing a staffing problem and half said hiring was harder now than it was before the pandemic. 

• According to a survey of 7,500 childcare providers by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 50% of respondents said they were serving fewer children as a result of hiring problems and 25% had reduced their hours.

Turnover remains a challenge 

• ​​The problem is impacting certain industries more than others;  recent quit rates are at record highs in healthcare and retail.

• The MGM Resorts International CEO recently reported they hire 500 to 800 people during a typical week, only to lose 300 to 400 others.

• At SpartanNash Co., a grocery supplier, turnover has nearly tripled in their warehouses, up 70% above normal. 

The upcoming holiday season articulates the hiring urgency for many businesses.

Our Holiday Hiring 2021: A Quick Start Guide helps hourly employers and workers understand how to best prepare for the upcoming season amid current challenges. We surveyed thousands of hourly workers and employers, analyzed the macro economics and labor market projections, to create a data synthesis and quick start guide—everything you need and want to know.

Jobs

All industry data is from 3/2/20-9/13/21

Here are the latest job numbers by industry:

Quick service restaurant (QSR) jobs are down 20% compared to pre-pandemic norms, flat month over month and seeing 8% year over year growth.

Sit-down restaurant jobs are down 36% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 3% month over month growth and 10% year over year growth.

Warehouse and logistics jobs are up 298% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 22% month over month growth and a 170% year over year decline.

Retail jobs are up 24% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 24% month over month growth and 47% year over year growth.

Grocery jobs are up 83% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 1% month over month decline and 38% year over year growth.

Hospitality jobs are up 287% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 25% month over month decline and 333% year over year growth.

On demand jobs are up 211% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 1% month over month decline and 175% year over year growth.

Convenience store jobs are down 7% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 2% month over month decline and 8% year over year growth.

Healthcare jobs are up 121% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 1% month over month decline and 107% year over year growth.

Workers

Google searches for hourly jobs are flat year over year.

The bottom line

We’ll continue to be your best resource for hourly job market insights as we collectively navigate towards our new normal and beyond.