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I'm a school cafeteria cook, and we've seen our staff of food prep/"lunch ladies" decrease by over half since the pandemic. Several older ones retired, or cut their hours, with no one to replace them, and several of the younger ones who wanted full time employment have left due to better opportunities and pay elsewhere. For example, at the Jr./Sr. High school where I work, we formerly had two servers on our main lunch line...now we're down to one. It puts added stress on those of us remaining (I'm almost 62 and I've been picking up a lot of the slack). We formerly had two gals handling the dishroom, now it's one; two cashiers, now one. The lunch staff at the elementary school was formerly 8, now it's four (who are required to cover cooking, serving, cashiering, and dishroom). When one of these ladies calls off, as they do numerous times a week, it's my job to leave before my own cooking shift is finished and rush there to fill in. We used to have a roster of "substitutes" as well, those we could call in at a moment's notice to cover, but we no longer do.
The school board and extracurriculars also expect cafeteria staff to act as a "catering service" for events and banquets. With our diminished staff, those of us remaining who are older (like me), it's no surprise that most have opted to no longer work these events (which frequently involve a 12 to 14 hour day). And those who still agree to do them (I'm the cook, I have no choice) are worked to the bone.
I thought I'd work until 65. At this rate, I've decided to wrap it up after next year.
More competitive wages, signing bonuses, and reimbursement of clearances and background check costs would be a plus in hiring new employees. The major deterrent in hiring is that those clearances and background checks can be costly (child abuse, fingerprinting, etc.) It's a small town/rural school district though, so that's not likely to happen.
Last edited by Mrs. Skeffington; 04-04-2022 at 08:57 PM..
Not everyone can just go and work for WMT,TGT,SBUX,CMG,Wendy,if they are recent immigrants or slow to learn the ropes,they would not get that $30 hour job.
If they cant speak English or read English.
I'm a school cafeteria cook, and we've seen our staff of food prep/"lunch ladies" decrease by over half since the pandemic. Several older ones retired, or cut their hours, with no one to replace them, and several of the younger ones who wanted full time employment have left due to better opportunities and pay elsewhere. For example, at the Jr./Sr. High school where I work, we formerly had two servers on our main lunch line...now we're down to one. It puts added stress on those of us remaining (I'm almost 62 and I've been picking up a lot of the slack). We formerly had two gals handling the dishroom, now it's one; two cashiers, now one. The lunch staff at the elementary school was formerly 8, now it's four (who are required to cover cooking, serving, cashiering, and dishroom). When one of these ladies calls off, as they do numerous times a week, it's my job to leave before my own cooking shift is finished and rush there to fill in. We used to have a roster of "substitutes" as well, those we could call in at a moment's notice to cover, but we no longer do.
The school board and extracurriculars also expect cafeteria staff to act as a "catering service" for events and banquets. With our diminished staff, those of us remaining who are older (like me), it's no surprise that most have opted to no longer work these events (which frequently involve a 12 to 14 hour day). And those who still agree to do them (I'm the cook, I have no choice) are worked to the bone.
I thought I'd work until 65. At this rate, I've decided to wrap it up after next year.
More competitive wages, signing bonuses, and reimbursement of clearances and background check costs would be a plus in hiring new employees. The major deterrent in hiring is that those clearances and background checks can be costly (child abuse, fingerprinting, etc.) It's a small town/rural school district though, so that's not likely to happen.
Hey, do you have a recipe for "Apple Crisp?"
Boy, I'd sure love to have that again...(It's been >50 years...)
(It's no problem if it's for 250 servings, I have a calculator with scientific notation, it can be done!)
Even when I was 16 working fast food, my co-workers were other teenagers. The day shift were women whose husbands had full time jobs. No one expected pay from one fast food job to pay the rent. It's the same where we live today. And even though we are in a low cost of living area, the pay is in the same range as you post above for your expensive area.
I'm wondering if some of the reason these jobs aren't being filled is that the family is still afraid of covid and don't want their children working. Or the high income families don't push their children to work and just give them spending money.
I still see teens filling the fast food jobs. I haven't seen these mythical parents working there, who are trying to raise a family on those wages. But someone on the thread observed, that there are just too many of these cheap service-sector jobs to be filled by young people in high school or college. Just like there are WAY too many hotel staff jobs to be filled by American citizen workers, even if the pay were better.
And yes, to answer your question; there are a lot of HS kids who don't need to work, and who get an allowance from their parents. Some kids don't need much money; they're happy doing free activities on the weekends.
Quote:
Originally Posted by C2BP
There is no such a thing as a labor shortage. Americans are ready and available to work. What is missing is that employers can’t afford to pay market clearing wage because economy is weak at best.
Here's an example I don't understand. The Ace Hardware Store chain, and other hardware stores, some of them--independent and not part of even a small local chain, seem to be overstaffed. There's an overabundance of workers ready to jump up and help customers find what they're looking for. And these staffers come from all age groups.
Is hardware that lucrative a field, that the stores can afford to have 6 or more assistants on every shift, not counting the 2-3 cashiers? How are the stores achieving this rate of employment, and why can't other stores do whatever it is they're doing to have such a full staff? What's their secret?
Is hardware that lucrative a field, that the stores can afford to have 6 or more assistants on every shift, not counting the 2-3 cashiers? How are the stores achieving this rate of employment, and why can't other stores do whatever it is they're doing to have such a full staff? What's their secret?
Ace Hardware now has Handyman Services. I haven't used it yet. But, that could be what some of the staff might be there for (besides warehousing, inventory, etc., etc.).
Chipptle hires college and high school kids as well,but they are overworked and understaff.
May be the hardware stores you go to have commish if they sell something .
I know in some ethnic restaurants,waiters work just to get tips,there is no pay
As I have said, repeatedly, about this topic, when you lock people down, and give them time to think, (along with scaring the crap out of them for a year or 2), they tend to start looking at life differently. They come up with other ways or new ways to make money. A lot of people went to social media to make money, and have found success. (It doesn't take having millions of followers, people.) A lot went to the gig economy, which, honestly, I make more doing that than I have in almost every single job I've ever had. Older people retired early. Some people went back to school.
I guess I just find it hard to believe that THAT many unemployed fast food/retail type workers made it big on social media and/or the gig economy. Certainly many older folks retired and I can see that having an effect, as well as maybe mothers who were working part-time and who have now chosen (or been forced) to stay home due to lack of child care. However, I would guess that most places where the average person notices lack of staffing is either fast food/restaurants or retail establishments. Again, I just don't see those former employees as highly intelligent/motivated types who suddenly made it big in some alternative type of employment. Not trying to be insulting, (I worked retail for many years myself) but I think it takes a good bit of talent or special skills to make it on these other tracks. Online porn or something? Or maybe I'm wrong about that.
I guess I just find it hard to believe that THAT many unemployed fast food/retail type workers made it big on social media and/or the gig economy. Certainly many older folks retired and I can see that having an effect, as well as maybe mothers who were working part-time and who have now chosen (or been forced) to stay home due to lack of child care. However, I would guess that most places where the average person notices lack of staffing is either fast food/restaurants or retail establishments. Again, I just don't see those former employees as highly intelligent/motivated types who suddenly made it big in some alternative type of employment. Not trying to be insulting, (I worked retail for many years myself) but I think it takes a good bit of talent or special skills to make it on these other tracks. Online porn or something? Or maybe I'm wrong about that.
A lot of those who lost jobs in the restaurant/retail sector in my area went to work for delivery apps such as Instacart.
My guess is that they are dancing on TikTok or being an "influencer" on Instagram, one can make a ton of money that way now by just dressing up and acting glamorous.
people will get used to higher prices,just imagine back then you can get a car for $3k,a house for $40K,and any one making over $20K is GOOD money now we are paying $30k for a car and $475K for a house and we make more money
Sure, we'll get used to the higher prices. But money still doesn't magically come out of thin air. It's the ratio of money earned to what things cost that's important.
I still like to use the example of when I was waitressing and minimum wage went up to $2/hr. I was still able to afford a one bedroom apartment for $125/mo and put some money into savings.
Minimum wage is what now - $7.15/hr? That's a jump of 3.5 times what it used to be then. But a one bedroom apartment is average $1600/mo where I live now. That's a jump of almost 13 times more than it was before.
Minimum wage would have to be $25.60/hr to be comparable to then and some people wonder why others are having such a hard time making ends meet?
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