This past year restaurants, hospitals and other businesses around America have been facing major staffing issues. There are many reasons for this, one being millions of people are refusing to go back to low-wage jobs with no benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic changed what people want and expect from a job, which could be why so many are reluctant to return to their jobs. 

The nation has been dealing with nursing shortages since 2012 and this is expected to last until 2030. With the large number of COVID cases, hospitals started experiencing an even worse nationwide nursing shortage that they are still battling today. There weren’t even enough hospital beds for all the people who were sick. 

There are two huge factors that are causing the nursing shortage: the largest population of older adults ever and burnout. 

The generation that was born between 1946 and 1964 is one of the largest in history. The CDC reported that one half of American citizens aged 65 and over have two or more chronic health conditions. 

Nursing burnout happens because nurses are given so many hours that they start to feel emotionally and physically exhausted.

Aside from nursing, restaurant chains have started raising hourly wages and even offering benefits and bonuses to attract new workers. McDonalds, the world’s largest fast-food restaurant chain, expects to attract up to 10,000 new employees with their new pay tab. If they are successful it will put many more local restaurants out of business. 

32-year-old Audrey Walker works three jobs to support herself and her daughter. “All of my jobs have been dealing with short staffing, and until we hire more employees I will have to continue working 24/7. I hardly ever have time to see my daughter, which is really hard for both of us. It’s so tempting to quit my job and work fast food for $20 an hour,” she said.

Overall businesses have been forced to temporarily or permanently close because of the labor shortage. Nurses are quitting their jobs leaving hundreds of Americans without access to health care. Fast food is taking over expensive locally owned restaurants. If America doesn’t think of a better way to handle this labor shortage things will get much worse and more businesses will have to close their doors.