Human Resource executives should not mis-read this increase as a change in employment trends, because skilled workers are still in short supply.

According to the Labor Department on Thursday, this is the first increase for the year, but it has not changed economists’ expectations for another month of solid employment gains in February.

The reality is that signs of an acute shortage of workers in the labor market remain, even though many employers are boosting wages and offering other incentives to retain and attract staff. This has led economists to blame the rise in claims on week-to-week volatility in the Labor Department’s data and harsh weather in some parts of the country.

In fact last week’s data covering the nonfarm payrolls portion of February’s employment report, shows claims well below their mid-January 290,000 number. The economy also created 467,000 jobs in January.

One of JP Morgan’s economists told reports that, “given the regular noise in the data and the range of factors that can impact filings we don’t think the recent jump in initial claims filings is particularly worrisome at this point,”.  The economist, Daniel Silver added that, “overall, we think that the labor market remains tight.”

Even the Federal Reserve seems to be in agreement with Economists, since minutes of the Federal Reserve’s Jan. 25-26 meeting showed that “many” officials at the U.S. central bank “viewed labor market conditions as already at or very close to those consistent with maximum employment.”

Consider that last year nearly 4 million Americans quit their jobs monthly – often for more pay or flexibility. This unprecedented level of job switching gave workers leverage to ask for better pay, and helped to push inflation to its highest level in decades. The last employment cost index (ECI) report showed total pay for civilians in the last quarter of 2022 increased 1%, just shy of a 1.3% record seen between July and September 30, 2022. Wages in fact went up 4.5% last year, which was nearly two times more than it did in 2021.

Reduce and Stabilize Labor Costs to Offset High Inflation and Interests

Some have argued that strong wages gains from the tight labor market is second only to challenging supply chain issues as factors boosting inflation. The Fed is even expected to start raising interest rates in March to quell inflation.

Interest hikes in an environment of high labor costs could threaten profits, and some business owners are choosing to secure their labor force by contracting staffing experts like GEasyHR to stabilize and reduce labor costs.

The hospitality industry could face the greatest challenge to attract and retain general staff, especially since factories across the United States are returning to full capacity.

But factory activity in the region that covers eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware only grew moderately, because of persistent supply constraints.

According to GEasyHR’s Chairman, Dr. Ramone Williamson, “There are no signs of change in labor market trends, so we are making it easier for clients to contract workers temporarily, even after the market settles”.

In this atmosphere of record employment levels businesses are moving to secure their labor force, and staffing agencies like GEasyHR have dedicated resources towards attracting highly skilled staff.

About the Author

Romaine Gardner is a Human Resource Expert and the President of Venture Holdings Group Inc., the parent company of Globally Easy Human Resources, GEasyHR.

Some experts say that people were simply preparing to take new jobs in January this year, and that some are still anxious about Covid-19. Whatever is the cause, more business owners will be better off relying on staffing agencies like Globally Easy Human Resources (GEasyHR) to keep up with these high turnover numbers.

According to CNBC’s Jennifer Lui, “Quits increased the most in several lower-wage sectors, including accommodation and food services; health care and social assistance; and transportation, warehousing and utilities”. It has been increasingly challenging for some businesses to attract and retain these low-income workers in an atmosphere of high labor demand.

Employees could continue to have the upper-hand if the job market keeps tightening in 2022, even as face tough choices before they staff up this year, since the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is more contagious than any before it. This double whammy makes long term investments in human resources unwise for many business owners and some staffing agencies are prepared to help employers ride through this phase of uncertainty.

It is important to note that job openings remain historically high across the USA since hiring outpaced quitting by 2.2 million in November. Workers are taking advantage of the tight job market by taking new jobs with increased earnings, working conditions and possibilities to work remotely during the pandemic.

Experts at the Venture Holdings Group, the owners of GEasyHR say they predicted the current high turnover rates after the U.S. economy saw record turnover during what is being called “The Great Resignation” of 2021.

Dr. Williamson says that business managers who choose to completely manage their own hiring will be forced to lower their requirements, pay more and commit time and training into getting new workers up to speed.

“Since the Great Resignation staffing agencies have become the most cost effective way for employers to maintain good human resources and get their work done”, the GEasyHR boss said.

Dr. R. A. Williamson

With about 65 job seekers for every 100 job openings, the market is even tighter for hirers now than in February 2020 before the pandemic, when just over 80 unemployed workers existed for every 100 job openings. The result is that very few freelance workers exist to satisfy the vacancies today, making staffing agencies a must have insurance against labor shortages and for a certain supply of reliable and consistent workers.

Some agencies are ready for increasing demands from clients, and have made it easy to begin a labor supply relationship. This year businesses will be at a significant disadvantage if they are without a reliable source for experienced and qualified workers. Staffing agencies like GEasyHR are already prepared to take clients through periods of high turnover and have become lifelines for employers.

We have learnt the value of unity and dedication in our business and personal lives. Now Christmas offers a moment to reflect on how we can stimulate continued growth and development in the new year, since we have the right ingredients. 

All of our clients, shareholders, directors, staff, colleagues, family and friends are part of that ingredient, and it is their support that has carried us through great teething pains.

These valuable stakeholders will benefit greatly in 2022 and beyond, because as we grow we will show our appreciation in a myriad of ways.

Thank you very much. We are eternally grateful.  

In 2022 our shareholders and team members can expect us to remain committed to their interest, and by doing so increase our dedication to building our clients’ businesses and brands. We understand the symbiotic nature of our relationships.

That is why GEasyHR will introduce ‘Easy Hire’ next month, to make hiring even easier in the challenging labour market. ‘Easy Hire’ will give employers the ‘Power to Choose’, since we will upload profiles of our staffing agency’s top workers, allowing our clients to browse and select the profile that matches their needs.

There is hope on the other side of this transition, and success in 2022 will depend on continued unity and dedication. We are learning to live with 2021’s greatest adversity, Covid 19, and believe that with your continued support our mission will be accomplished.

Dr. Ramone A. Williamson

Group Chairman

Venture Holdings Group Inc.

Medical experts hailed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, saying they hope it leads to more people getting their shots.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech now carries the strongest endorsement from the Food and Drug Administration, which has never before had so much evidence to judge a shot’s safety. More than 200 million Pfizer doses already have been administered in the U.S. — and hundreds of millions more worldwide — since emergency use began in December.

The approval by the FDA comes as COVID-19 cases surge throughout the country because of the delta variant. It marks the first licensing of a vaccine for the coronavirus — until now the Pfizer-BioNTech shot has been used under emergency authorization.

Some teacher union officials said the full approval would not have a big impact since most of their members are already vaccinated. Others said they hoped the full approval would provide sufficient encouragement to the hesitant for mandates to be avoided.

If you want to hire workers to staff your Tennessee business, visit here: www.geasyhr.com

If you are searching for employment in Tennessee, visit the jobs site here: www.jobs.geasyhr.com

Why it matters: 

The economy is roaring back. Companies are pulling out all stops to win over the workers they need to meet demand.

What’s happening: 

• Businesses are also offering extended time off, free Pelotons or one-time bonuses to attract workers — and keep the ones they have.

Yes, but: What’s actually enticing workers is the most old-fashioned perk: Higher Wages.

The intrigue: Nearly 2 in 3 workers say they are looking for a new job, per a new survey by PwC. Employees said more money was the top reason they considered quitting.

• The survey also finds a huge gulf between what employees want and what companies are offering.
• Touting company values and culture, plus offering location flexibility, are the most common ways employers say they are trying to retain and attract workers.
• But that’s on the bottom of the priority list for employees. At the top: more flexible schedules, higher pay and expanded benefits.

Wages in the hospitality sector — where worker shortage complaints are most acute — are 10% higher from last July as hiring rebounds.

If you want to hire workers to staff your Tennessee business, visit our website here: www.geasyhr.com

If you are searching for employment in Tennessee, visit our jobs site here: www.jobs.geasyhr.com

The open hiring model does away with interviews, background checks, drug tests and other traditional screening methods.

“I think it has opened up their eyes that maybe they need to look at their hiring practices and think of other innovative ways they can get people into the door for their open positions,” said Mubarak Bashir, director of the Greyston Center for Open Hiring of Rochester.

The Rochester center was the second center established in the U.S. outside of Yonkers, where the Greyston Bakery first partnered with the Zen Community of New York to find work for students who were otherwise considered unemployable due to their lack of experience or criminal records.

In the last year, Bashir believes the lack of workers, especially in entry-level positions, has made the open hiring concept more appealing to employers who may have not considered it before.

“I started out doing a lot of cold calling of businesses, and now, as we come up on a year of me doing this work with Greyston,” Bashir said, “some businesses have reached out to me.”

Six Rochester-area companies have already adopted the practice or have made a commitment to test it.

Bonduelle, a frozen food packaging plant in Brockport, is one of the latest.

Jones says company leaders, headquartered in France, learned about the open hiring model while exploring a B-Corp certification, a designation that highlights a company’s dedication to profit with a purpose.

She said open hiring fits in with the corporate goal of diversity and inclusion.

The Brockport facility employs about 175 mostly full-time workers and 20 seasonal workers from Puerto Rico.

Starting this week, as entry-level packaging and warehouse positions open up, job applicants will be chosen through open hiring.

As it does with other companies that take on new employees through open hiring, the Greyston Center will provide on-site wraparound services such as transportation, housing and mental health to help new and current workers succeed at their jobs.

“Which is why Rochester is such a great place for us to start this process and this journey,” Jones said, “because we have that support and experience right here in Rochester.”

If the pilot program goes smoothly in Brockport, Bonduelle plans to eventually expand open hiring throughout its U.S. operations in New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Other local companies that are participating in open hiring include CleanCraft, Baldwin Richardson Foods, Buckingham Commercial Cleaning, Stamp Paints, and Zweigle’s.

Bashir’s goal is to recruit some larger companies in the next six to 12 months.

“We feel that that will get us a large number of our community members access to employment that are typically screened out of positions,” he said.

Eventually, Bashir said, the center wants to host a community roundtable where businesses that use opening hiring can share and compare their best practices.

By Beth Adams, a reporter for WXXI News, a media partner of CITY.

If you want to hire workers to staff your Tennessee business, visit our website here: www.geasyhr.com

If you are searching for employment in Tennessee, visit our jobs site here: www.jobs.geasyhr.com

Companies from across Tennessee and top Tennessee National Guard and Army Reserve officials met in Brentwood, Aug. 13, for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve’s Annual Planning and Awards Meeting. The awards ceremony recognizes nominated employers for their commitment supporting their Guard and Reserve employees.

Nashville-based HCA Healthcare accepted the prestigious Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for South Carolina’s Grand Strand Medical Center, which is owned and operated by HCA Healthcare.

The Freedom Award is the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their outstanding support of Guard and Reserve employees; only 15 companies across the nation receive this award each year. The award is given based on a nomination from a current Guard or Reserve employee or family member that works for the company.

“To be honored nationally as an organization which supports our colleagues’ military service is an accomplishment our whole community takes pride in,” said Mark Sims, chief executive officer at HCA Healthcare’s Grand Strand Medical Center. “We are honored that the same men and women who chose to volunteer to serve our country also choose to care for patients close to home. Their extraordinary service is a true testament to our mission; ‘Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.’”

“Every state nominates employers, small and large,” said Amanda McMahan, volunteer support technician for the Tennessee ESGR. “In total, 3,382 nominations came in from across the country as well as the protectorates and HCA Healthcare’s Grand Strand Medical Center was one of 15 recipients.”

Tennessee’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes, and Department of Veteran Services Commissioner, Maj. Gen. Tommy H. Baker, joined Ronald E. Bogle, National Chair of ESGR, Jim Mungenast, ESGR State Chair, Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Robert T. Krumm, and Air National Guard Col. Jason Brock at the ceremony honoring selected outstanding employers.

Gov. Bill Lee recorded a congratulatory video, which was played during the ceremony, thanking the employers for their continued support of Tennessee’s military members. Holmes presented a proclamation from Lee, designating the week of Aug. 15-21 as Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve week in Tennessee.

In addition to this year’s Freedom Award winner, the ESGR also recognized past Freedom Award recipients from Tennessee to include Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (2019), Dunlap Police Department (2018), Shofner Vision Center (2014), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (2014), Eastman Chemical (2013), Steel Plate Fabricators (2013), iostudio (2012), Tennessee Valley Authority (2012), Dollar General (2010), Franklin’s Printing (2010), Lochinivar Corporation (2008), and the State of Tennessee (2007).  Also recognized were top Tennessee Freedom Award Semi-Finalists; Autozone, Boston Government Services, Department of Energy Consolidated Service Center, Hendersonville Police Department, and Tomahawk Strategic Solutions.

If you want to hire workers to staff your Tennessee business, visit our website here: www.geasyhr.com

If you are searching for employment in Tennessee, visit our jobs site here: www.jobs.geasyhr.com

“Even before the pandemic, we had a shortage of nurses and a shortage of other health care providers and that has continued,” an expert says.

Tech opportunities are also taking over. With the likes of Amazon and Oracle changing the landscape, there’s never been a better time to try tech.

“When you think about technology, it’s not just an industry in and of itself. It really filters through every other industry.” For example, Coleman continues, “Automotive is huge in Middle Tennessee and advance manufacturing is huge.”

And there’s an opportunity to sell those products outside of the region, which still brings dollars back to Nashville.

Next on the list involves big business. “We are also looking to recruit corporate operations or business services because of those high-wage jobs, says the expert.”

Think positions that keep major companies operating, “Back office, corporate operations, headquarters, legal, [and] accounting.”

Last on the list is entertainment and hospitality which is Nashville’s #2 industry.

If you want to hire workers to staff your Tennessee business, visit here: www.geasyhr.com

If you are searching for employment in Tennessee, visit the jobs site here: www.jobs.geasyhr.com

According to the state government’s website, “the preliminary, seasonally adjusted rate for July 2021 is 4.7%, a drop of 0.2 of a percentage point from June’s revised rate of 4.9%”.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate has been at 5.1%, or lower, for the last seven months. In March 2020, the last month before COVID-19 business closures impacted the economy, Tennessee’s unemployment rate was 4%.

In July 2020, the state’s unemployment rate was 8.9% which is 4.2 percentage points higher than the current rate.

Total nonfarm employment decreased by 6,100 jobs between June and July. The largest decreases occurred in the local government, retail trade, and wholesale trade sectors.

Nationally, seasonally adjusted unemployment dropped 0.5 of a percentage point to 5.4%. One year ago, the United States unemployment rate was 10.2%.

If you want to hire workers to staff your Tennessee business, visit our website here: www.geasyhr.com

If you are searching for employment in Tennessee, visit our jobs site here: www.jobs.geasyhr.com

A complete analysis of Tennessee’s July 2021 unemployment data is available here. The state of Tennessee will release the July 2021 county unemployment rates on Thursday, August 26, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. CT.

According to the company’s Head of Recruitment,

“Some pre-covid jobs seem to be returning, and we thankfully have a long list of individuals who were working and relient on jobs in the hospitality sector”.

On a local level, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger says unemployment is 4 percent, which is lower than the national average. The reasons behind the worker shortage are complex and wide ranging.
Coppinger pointed out a drop in female participants in the workforce
since the start of the pandemic.

The Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce says employers are having to get creative with attracting new talent, with several initiatives underway Chattanooga.

Meanwhile firms like GEasy HR have launch exciting online campaigns to get workers back. The company is able to supply staff to its clients, despite the state-wide problems because of its flexible pool of workers and constant innovation.

Molly Blankenship says that is a sign of lasting changes to the workforce from the pandemic.

“Overall it’s going to take employers working to be innovative, educational providers working to be responsive to employers, and that’s being really intentional about engaging the community and
getting them connected to the pathways that exist,” she says.