Roughly half of workers recently surveyed said they would turn down a job offer that mandated full-time in-office work.
The United States had 9.3 million job openings at the end of April, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It’s the second month in a row that the labor market has seen a record number of open jobs — and with a record-high 2.7 percent quit rate, it’s also an indication that workers are ready to walk rather than remain in a job they dislike.
The large number of vacancies is causing serious headaches on Main Street.
“I need to hire about 15 more people,” said Leonardo Williams, who runs a restaurant in Durham, North Carolina. Three years ago, Williams expanded the business he and his wife own to open Zweli’s Kitchen. Durham’s first Zimbabwean restaurant, Zweli’s employed a staff of about 25 before the pandemic. Now, Williams is struggling to operate with a shoestring staff of five and relying on family members to pitch in. “My mom needs a day off,” he said.
Williams isn’t alone: Nearly half of America’s small businesses can’t find workers, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. The seasonally adjusted 48 percent reporting unfilled job openings is a record high, the trade group said.