Worker Shortages, Slower Service, and Our Character
Have you experienced the long waits at fast food restaurants, the early closing times, the difficulty finding someone to do daily or menial tasks for you, like yard work or housecleaning? There was some shortage of minimum wage workers before Covid, but now it’s more obvious. Some people blame this shortage on government handouts during Covid that make it possible for people to simply not work. But I think it’s way more complex than that. Here are my observations.
We used to rely on teenagers for much of this minimum wage work, and we still do. But there are fewer teenagers since the end of the Baby Boom, and more older people needing services, since the Baby Boomers are reaching old age. Hence, more jobs and fewer workers.
In addition to fewer teenagers, many teens and young adults are not working traditional jobs. I have been surprised at what some of my students do to earn money. Some of them are reselling items online, and making more money than I do. TikTok is also a source of income, with some teens even living in “TikTok houses” that only produce TikTok content, and they are making tons of money. (You’ll have to Google it if you don’t know what they are.)
And some teens simply aren’t working. Families used to rely on teens helping to support themselves, but most families are financially stable enough that students don’t HAVE to work. Increased educational pressure – from AP (Advanced Placement) courses in high schools and college admissions/testing rigor – combined with extracurricular sports hijacking students’ lives = no time to work.
We also used to rely on immigrants, legal and illegal, for many low-paying jobs, and thanks to tighter border restrictions, there are fewer of these to take the jobs Americans don’t want to do.
Supervisor or customer abuse has induced many workers to simply quit, and persuaded other workers to avoid even applying for these kinds of service jobs.
So what’s the consequence? We are probably going to have to pay more and wait longer for services that used to be cheap and fast. And this will tempt us to be grouchy and impatient. If we recognize that temptation up front, we can hopefully be better prepared to be better people. We can pray for patience and cheerfulness.
One good outcome that I’m already seeing is that employers are willing to hire disabled workers, whether they have Down’s Syndrome or neurological disorders or physical limitations. They are finding that sometimes these workers are their most stable and dependable employees, but they do take longer to learn or they simply move slower. Once again, we are going to be called on by God to show more patience and kindness.
Both patience and kindness are “fruits of the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:22). This means they are the result of our relationship with God and the evidence of our relationship with God. These are traits we want to cultivate. Besides, haven’t people been protesting for years about our American tendency to always be in a hurry? Maybe God is saying, if you won’t slow down and “see” the people around you, I will arrange it so you have to.
Instead of whining and protesting about this snag in our economy, let’s look at it as an opportunity to develop crucial Christian characteristics, and also an opportunity to bless these workers who have hard jobs. Thank the barista for getting up so early to have your coffee ready. Thank the drive-thru worker that they are willing to work late so you have supper. Thank your yard worker for working out in the hot sun when you aren’t able to. It would be wonderful to create a culture of appreciation for the work others are willing to do for us. Romans 12:16 says, “Live in harmony with one another. Don’t be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position (or be willing to do menial work).”
