I can't reply to each person saying this, but I have no more trouble finding employees than anyone else in my industry. Most of our staff actually reached out to us. Knowing full well that they have to work hard, but get paid well also. Thankfully, I'm an industry where I can raise my rates directly in proportion of salary.
I made this post because I feel bad for all of the small independent shops I see closing down who don't have those kinds of margins. They can't just raise pay to $30/hr for low skilled labor, because their customers will just go to wal mart instead. Meanwhile we have large segments of the population who resort to living in their parents basement, refusing to work unless it's full WFH and 6 figures. With some useless degree and 3-400k in student loan debt they should've never taken out.
I think we are going to see some real repercussions of this in our lifetime, as these kids hit mid late 30's with zero skills and zero work history. Just holding out for "fair wage". Everyone nowadays wants to walk out of college into this utopia of a job that doesn't exist, and unfortunately their boomers parents aren't forcing them to get a job and be productive, and learn marketable skills.[/B]
BOLD: That statements is telling.. if you actualy paid more than your competitors, as you believe, you wouldn't be having simular troubles as your competition, you woldn't be having any troubles at all. But you admit, you have no more troubles than your competition, which indicates that you do not pay any better than your competition, as your troubles in finding employees are simular. I don't know how you "think" the job seaking, hiring process works, but 99.9% of all positions are filled by people seaking employment.. aka, by reaching out to companies, including yours, summitting their resume, and/or application, in hopes of gaining employement. That's how it works for every business in every industry.
The old "they can't raise prices because they will just go somewhere else" line.. that is the preverbial bullshit fear tactic line.. guess what, that is 100% bullshit. If a company has quality products and services, the company will strive along with their employees. The ones that believe that fear tactic bullshit are the very ones who go bankrupt and don't survive, and/or they do raise prices, but offer a substandard product or service, which has nothing to do with wages if the pay is appropriate. I took over running a company that was on the verge of bankruptcy. The owners where afraid to raise prices, and chose not to increase wages even though they had exceptional products and services, which is why they where on the verge of bankruptcy. They where watching their competition who where doing the same thing slowly go out of business around them. What did I do, I raised prices, and increased wages as they tried to object. But they had nothing else to lose. Over the 15 years I ran that company, they stayed lucrative, business increased, and they survived as they watched their competition close up shop. They strived as those around them went bankrupt. The claim "you can only charge what the market can bare" is a bullshit ideology if you are not charging enough to cover your costs, and a fair profit margine, you are at fault, not the market.
You are right, we are going to see a change.. we are going to see the job market revert back to where people are actualy paid for a fair days pay for a fair days work, as everyone's time is equally valuable, and not just based on a title, or some imaginary belief that there are jobs that require no skill, so they shouldnt be paid a decent wage. Every job requires skill, every job in this world is important to society. And no company should be making huge profits off the backs of low paid labor.