Stories from the Great American Labor Shortage: An Update

<p><i>This week, The Daily is revisiting some of our favorite episodes of the year and checking in on what has happened in the time since they first ran.</i></p><p><i>This episode contains strong language.</i></p><p>Bartenders, sous chefs, wait staff — back in August, managers in the U.S. hospitality industry were struggling to fill a range of roles at their establishments.</p><p>One owner of a gourmet burger restaurant in Houston said that before the pandemic, a job opening could easily get 100 applicants — but that was no longer the case; applications were in the single digits. “I had never seen it like this before in my career,” he told us. “I’ve been doing this for over 25 years.”</p><p>Managers blamed pandemic unemployment benefits for the dearth of job seekers. Employees said that the pandemic had opened their eyes to the realities of work.</p><p>Today, we return to the country’s labor shortage to find out why so many Americans have left their jobs, and whether the people we spoke to back in August are working again.</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/signup/NTTD?smid=pc-thedaily">Sign up here</a> to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-daily?module=inline">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. </p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>Why is it so hard to hire right now? Experts weigh in on <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/22/business/dealbook/labor-shortage-causes.html?searchResultPosition=30" target="_blank">what’s going on in the labor market</a> — and what companies can do to attract workers.</li><li>The sharp rebound in hiring, especially in service industries, is widening opportunities and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/business/economy/workers-wages-mobility.html" target="_blank">prompting employers to compete on pay</a>.</li></ul><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytim