They Need A Blizzard of Workers
We’ve talked many times about how hard it is for businesses to find workers…whether skilled trades, restaurant workers, machinists, and what we used to call summer part-time work for teenagers.
Iowa is known for its good work ethic generally, and the Marion County city of Pella enjoys that same reputation. That’s what made the post I saw on Twitter from our colleague Brent Barnett of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network so discouraging on Friday.
A sign in the door of the Dairy Queen there told what hours the establishment was open, while another noted that they were “now hiring” blizzard wizards, burger flippers, sundae toppers, etc. That was the fun part.
Another sign, in all capital letters, put on full display the frustration they felt: “We are short staffed. Please be patient with the staff that did show up. No one wants to work anymore.”
And that last part is what’s of concern.
Municipal pools are closing earlier than usual, because they don’t have enough lifeguards. Restaurants are closing during holiday weekends because they don’t have staff. John Deere and the Eastern Iowa Airport…all sponsoring hiring fairs.
Is it a lack of people…or do we simply not want to work? Because if that’s what our current culture has produced, it’s a horrible sign for society…and one that plays into the short-term fix of big government and so-called free money.
“No one wants to work anymore”—sadly, not isolated to one ice cream shop in one Iowa town.
