“School districts have been able to pay employees little for a long time and find that they can no longer do so due to a severe decline in labor force participation now,” he said.
According to Ms. Groshen, the increase in unemployment benefits during the pandemic has allowed workers to vacate jobs with abysmal working conditions while seeking better job opportunities.
“Because people have received relief payments, they don’t have to take on the first job,” he said. “They get to be selective and expect something better to come.”
In Santa Fe, New Zealand, Randy Mondragon has worked as a bus driver for 20 years and his salary is slightly above average, which is about $ 16.40 per hour, according to the district.
He works six days a week, usually at 70 hours.
“There’s only been one day in the 22 years I’ve worked that they didn’t need me to drive a route,” Mondragon said. “We are the first and last to see students in the morning, so our work is very important and sometimes we don’t get that recognition.”
Many of these workers are older; they often take on these jobs to supplement their Social Security checks. But with the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic, many choose to retire early to reduce the risk of exposure.
Due to the shortage of substitute teachers, Angie Graham, a 51-year-old high school teacher in Fleming County, Ky, has been covering shifts for other classmates. She worries that if she gets sick, no one will be able to cover her.