Pennsylvania, like most states across the country, is currently experiencing a shortage of workers in many industries, particularly in hospitality. | stock photo
Pennsylvania, like most states across the country, is currently experiencing a shortage of workers in many industries, particularly in hospitality. | stock photo
Pennsylvania is struggling to make an economic recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a severe workforce shortage.
Gene Barr, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, told the York Daily Record that young people aren’t staying in the state after high school, technical school or college, making it tough to fill critical jobs.
“As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania is facing a serious workforce crisis that is threatening our businesses and slowing our economic recovery,” said Pennsylvania Sen. John Yudichak (I-Luzerne/Carbon) in the Pennsylvania Business Report. “Businesses across my district and throughout the commonwealth have been forced to curtail their hours of operation or even close because of a workforce shortage.”
Sen. John Yudichak
| PA State Senate
A specific industry that’s suffering from the workforce shortage in the state is hospitality.
“There are several ways the Legislature can help us address this crisis, including support for industry-specific workforce development programs and the association health plan, which would allow our members to affordably provide health insurance to their employees,” John Longstreet, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, told Pennsylvania Business Report.
The 2021 U.S. Prosperity Index ranked the U.S. 18th out of 167 nations.
“The direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic have resulted in many aspects of prosperity deteriorating over the past year,” according to the Prosperity Index. “As the pandemic took hold, all but a handful of states introduced restrictions that curtailed other aspects of prosperity. Social well-being, the economy and institutional strength have all been impacted by the pandemic and how states have responded to it.”
WFMZ-TV reported on the Prosperity Index, which ranks all 50 states in “11 categories that address infrastructure, living conditions, health and business conditions.” The index, despite giving Pennsylvania the top rating in business environment, ranked the Keystone State 45th overall for economic quality.
One of the biggest criticisms of the way that commonwealth leaders, including Gov. Tom Wolf (D), have handled the attempted economic recovery has been the decision not to opt out of extra federal unemployment insurance benefits. More than half of U.S. states opted out of the program early and some have seen success in raising levels of employment.
The most recent jobs report showed that Pennsylvania had an unemployment rate of 6.6%, which is above the national average. The Keystone state has lagged behind for several months now, according to Keystone Today.
The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation programs will end on Saturday, Sept. 4, on their own accord, reported 11News.
The situation in Pennsylvania has been far enough behind the pack that state legislators have begun to hold hearings on the way state leaders have conducted the recovery, according to Pennsylvania Business Report.
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