Washington, United States.
The United States celebrates this Monday the Labor Day in the midst of an unexpected economic situation in which the shortage of workers and doubts about returning to the office for the threat persistent pandemic of coronavirus.
Despite the progressive revival of the economy as vaccination advances in the country, with already more than 63% of the adult population in the US with the full guideline, economists are surprised why do not go accompanied of a rise in the job generation.
“Perhaps the most important fact is the decline in the number of people in the workforce who want a job and have dropped from 6.5 million in July a 5.7 million in August“Betsy Stevenson, a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan, said on her Twitter account last Friday.
The forecasts of the Federal Reserve (Fed) point to a economic growth in the country of 7%, which would be the higher annual rate since the 1980s.
However, economic indicators like the occupation they show a more complex scenario.
THE LABOR MARKET, FAR FROM NORMALITY
Last week the data of atur corresponding to August which showed a decrease in the rate to 5.2%, compared to 5.4% in July, but with a still weak creation of new work places.
In August, the economy added 235,000 jobs, In front of the million jobs added in July, which is the lowest figure in seven months.
Part of the responsibility of this braking corresponds to the expansion of the delta variant of covid-19But there are also deeper factors that are making them employees rethink the return to the old normalcy.
THE DILEMMA OF RETURNING TO THE OFFICE
A research group survey The Conference Board on job satisfaction published in the last week has indicated that the 42% of those consulted in August expressed concern over the return to the Officea pel danger of infection, Compared to 24% last month.
Also, 80% of those who claimed to be in job search considered that the policy with respect to flexibility on thes working conditions it was very or moderately important when deciding on one job offer.
the big ones corporations they are divided when facing this uncertain picture.
Numerous companies, such as Google or Apple, Have postponed their plans back to the office; while others, such as investment banks Morgan Stanley or JP Morgan, they have demanded of their workers the return of theirs work places.
“Let there be no doubt about it. We do our work in the offices of Morgan Stanley, That’s where we teach, that’s where ours fellows they learn, that’s how we make people develop, ”its president, James Gorman, said in early summer.
Others, such as the chain of fast food Chipotle, have acknowledged that they have been forced to raise salaries per attract workers.
GOODBYE TO BENEFITS
However, many unemployed they may be forced to look for work after they expired at 3am this Monday federal programs of aid, which will affect more than seven million people who will be left without perceiving a single one benefit.
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The three programs were launched about 18 months ago, after the Country Congress approve the stimulus package for a few $ 2 trillion at the beginning of the pandemic, And were extended last December and March, but are not expected to be expanded again.
Under one of these programs have been allocated $ 300 a week to the unemployed since last December; an aid that became dand $ 600 weekly between April and July 2020.
The other, Unemployment Assistance a pandemic, provided assistance to freelancers and independent contractors, among others; and the last was the Unemployment Emergency Compensation program a pandemic, which extended the benefit to those persons who had exhausted the subsidy of their states.