LAKELAND –There are more jobs than ever in Polk County,but filling job vacancies remainsachallengefor employers.
Polk County’slabor force–people who are employed and people looking for work– increased last year to its highest level at 313,280workers, based onU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from November.
The unemployment rate also dropped in November to 4.4%, down from 5.4% in November 2020,BLSshowed.
WhilePolk County hasfaredbetter than mostareasof the country interms ofemployment gains, employers arestrugglingto attract enough workers to fill positions, saidJamesFarrellassociate professor of finance and economicsat Florida Southern College in Lakeland. And the problem could get worse in the future.Polk County’s population is expected to top 1 million within the next 10 years, and a Florida Scorecard published by the Florida Chamber of Commerce predicted 86,771jobswould need to be filledin the countyby 2030.
“Looking at the local data, we have more people working now than we have ever had and unemployment is nearing record lows, the issue is that demand for labor has grown faster than the working population,” Farrell said.
Anational study showed thatof the people who left the labor market during the pandemic,roughly 90%were older workerswhomoved up their retirement, he said. These workersareunlikelyto return tothelabor force.
Employers are responding to the labor shortage by offering signup bonuses and other perks.
“Incentives may help, but much of what employers can offer in terms ofadditional compensation and more favorable conditions may just serve to draw employees out of other jobs rather than pull people out of retirement,” Farrell explained.
Competing for labor “is arelatively new experience for some industries, particularly ones where the minimum wage used to be the starting point and the labor markets were less competitive,” he said. He added, this could affect profitability “or fuel even greater inflationas firms adjust,until a point where some may not stay in business.”
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Where did all the workers go?
Sometimes referred to asthe Great Resignation, 20 million people left their jobs in the second half of 2021, according to a U.S. Labor Department reportin December.
Farrell said there issomething deeper at play.
“The combination of stimulus funding, strong markets and the time to reflect on their lives has left many questioning prior paths and wanting to try something new," Farrell said."While some may eventually return to traditional employment, others will find success and potentially become employers themselves.”
Farrell preferred the term, the “greatrealignment.”
“They have realigned their expectations of what work should be for them," Farrell said. "They have realigned their expectations of what life should be for them, and the result is a great shift in where and how work will be done.”
Keith Hall, president andCEOof theNational Association for the Self-Employed, said people left jobsbecause theywantingmore flexibilitythan traditional employment. He alsocitedCOVIDanxiety and a desiretowatch their kidswho werehomefromschoolas factorsexacerbatinglabor shortages in certain industries.
Hall citeda Wall Street Journal report that showed the number of self-employed people had grown by half a million since the beginning of the pandemic, to 9.44 million – the highest number since the 2008 financial crisis.
“The American worker has made their voice heard with their feet, leaving W-2employmentand entering self-employment in recordnumbers,"said Hall, who leads the NASE’s advocacy efforts for improved regulations for the self-employed.
In Florida, the Small Business Administration reported there are 2.8 million small businesses (with up to 500 employees), which comprise 99.8% of businesses in the state.
That adds up to 3.6 million small-business employees, which represents 41.1% ofFlorida's workers, the SBA stated in its 2021 Small Business Profile report.
In contrast, there aremore than 460,000 unfilled positions across allindustriesin theSunshine state, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
“Attractingnew staffis a priority for many businesses,” explained Kathry Suttles, director of business services for CareerSource Polk.
“We have seen an increase in the number of employers reaching out to us for labor market information and specifically wage information related to their open positions. This information helps them strategize on how to make their job openings and organization stand out to job seekers,” she said.“The key takeaway is that companies are doingthe researchand strategizing on how to best navigate today’s job market."
Polk's industries with greatest need
CareerSource Polk is a private, non-profitsupported by the U.S. departments of Labor, Health and Human Services andAgriculture. CareerSource offers grants and servicesto help companies hire, train and retain their employees.
In construction, single-family home building is on the rise. Single-family homepermits in Polk County have beensoaring since 2011tonearly 7,400 permitsin 2020, according to theFlorida Scorecard.
In the hotel and restaurant sector, a University of Central Florida professor says the hospitality industry can expect more job openings in the region for2022.
“Tourism demand will continue to grow during 2022, which means that labor demand will also continue to grow in the hospitality industry,” saidprofessorRoberticoCroes at the university’sRosen College of Hospitality Management.“Labor demand will be particularly salient in entry level hospitality jobs (e.g., hotels, restaurants). However, the tight job market together with the high numbers of quits will exacerbate the labor shortagesituation.“
Wages have been increasing in that sector and some employers offer signing bonuses, he said.
“The industry already has increased wages to entice hospitality employees to come back or to stay,”said Croes, the author of four books and editor of the Rosen Review.
On Wednesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported December wages increased by 0.1%.Still, from December 2020 to December 2021, average hourly earnings decreased by 2.4%.
Wages are just one factor in the worker shortage.
Hospitalityhas the highestnumber ofjobopeningsat 8.9%, the BLS data showed. And Croes said retention continues to plague the industry.
“As our study shows,the industry had already prior to the pandemic situation significant turnover issues," he said. "The pandemic made these issues more conspicuous and visible to the effect that the existing hospitality business model of low wages, long hours and few benefits is no longer sustainable.
“Showing empathy, focusing on work-life balance,providingclear career advancement pathways, and paying livable wages could be a way forward toward a more sustainable business model,” he said.
TheAmerican Trucking Associations – which is made up 50 state trucking associations, includingtheFlorida Trucking Association – estimates that the trucking industry is short about80,000 drivers,according to Holly Brooks, spokeswoman for Florida’s association.
“The pandemic caused some drivers to leave the industry," Brooks said. "Plus, truck driver training schools trained far fewer drivers than usual in 2020."
TheFTArecently partnered withWinter Haven-basedFleetForceTruck Driving Schoolfor an initiativeto help put more drivers on the road, Brooks said.As part of the program,FTAmember companies are offering fully paid tuition atFleetForcefor those looking to obtain a commercial driver’s license. And jobs are waitingfor those students once they complete training.
Health care had the second most job openings at 8.2%,among sectors seeking employees, the BLS reported.
BayCareHealth System employs 30,000 people at 15 community-based hospitals, a long-term acute care facility, home health services andoutpatient centers.
Lisa Razler, a public relations managerforBayCare, said there are currently openings in a variety ofpositionsin Polk County, where BayCare’sfacilitiesincludeWinter Haven Hospital, Winter Haven Women’s Hospital and Bartow Medical Center.
“Our pay rates vary based on position and experience, and BayCare offers excellent benefits in addition to being a not-for-profit health care system that embraces its values of trust, dignity, respect, excellenceand responsibility,” Razler said.
Retail had the third most job openings in the recent BLS report at 6.3%.
Target,which has onestorein Davenport and two inLakeland, posted several jobs to its employment web page recently for each location, frombaristasto cashiers.
“Exact hiring totals are not available for Central Florida, but I can confirm each store and distribution center in Florida are hiring seasonal team members,”a Target spokeswoman said by email.
Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets Inc. recently offered paid parental leave to employees.
The employee-owned company has 225,000 workers atnearly1,300 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia,the Publix website showed.Publixis the largestemployer inFloridawith130,829associates, state records showed.
In October,Publixannouncedit was hiring 30,000 new associatesacross its seven-state areaby the end of 2021.The jobs includedpositions atstores, distribution centers and manufacturing facilitiesand werenon-seasonaljobs.
Publix did not respond to emailed questions for this report.
