More jobs than workers in Ohio

The demand for labor is so strong in the country that there are more job openings than workers listed as unemployed in Ohio. Across the country, there were 10.6 million job openings by the end of November. Meanwhile, the number of people listed as unemployed fell to 6.4 million in December. Similarly in Ohio, 381,00 job openings were posted in November but the state's last unemployment report shows that there are 275,000 unemployed workers. 

The worker's shortage has been worsened by the fed-up workers quitting their jobs in record numbers, though many are taking up better jobs. Federal data shows that 2.8% of total workers in Ohio, 153,000 in total, quit their jobs in October. Ben Ayers, senior economist says, "The labor market continues to be very tight, led primarily by pandemic factors which are keeping many workers out of the labor force. There are more jobs than available workers and record numbers of employees are quitting, both signs of tight market conditions. We have not seen much indication of an easing of the market, especially with COVID cases surging again."

In response to the shortage, employers have been boosting wages, offering bonuses and perks to workers. However, a large number of workers are yet to return to the workforce. Ohio still needs  220,000 workers and jobs to get back to where it was before the pandemic. The shortage has affected many industries, but low-wage jobs have taken the biggest hit. 

Source: The Columbus Dispatch