Worker Shortage Threatens Nashville’s Recovery
The Associated Press has reported that a post-pandemic business boom arrived as expected, but there aren’t enough workers to keep up with a national surge in demand.
There were 166,704 unemployed Tennesseans and more than 250,000 advertised jobs in April, state labor officials reported.
The nationwide worker shortage hasn’t just left the hospitality and tourism industries short-handed at a crucial time. Many other industries lag well behind 2019 production and a quick fix is elusive.
Only a quarter of the number of expected hires were made across the country in April. The U.S. Department of Labor recorded 266,000 jobs added, well below the anticipated 1 million.
NASHVILLE
While the challenge is hitting industry leaders across the country, it’s especially threatening to Nashville’s thriving hospitality scene.
“It can have a more dramatic impact on our level of business because we rely on Southern hospitality as part of the charm,” said Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. CEO Butch Spyridon. “In New York, you don’t necessarily expect over-the-top hospitality. But in Nashville you do.”
Gov. Bill Lee announced last week that Tennessee would opt out of the weekly $300 federal unemployment boost July 3, phasing back to the standard $275 check-per-week in Tennessee.
Tennessee follows Montana, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and South Carolina in refusing the cash. They expect it to motivate residents choosing not to go back to work because of the higher government payments.
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