By Sumir Meghani
U.S. seasonal job postings reached a record of almost 1 million as major retailers scramble to stock shelves and brace for the demands of an American public that is increasingly willing to conduct their holiday shopping in-store. Some of our nation’s largest retailers are looking for short-term fixes by offering bonuses and increased hourly rates. While these measures may work for the holidays, come 2022, if retailers (and all industries that rely on hourly staff) do not reevaluate their approach to hiring and retaining these workers, then the job shortage will continue.About 82.3 million Americans, or 58 percent of the entire country’s wage and salary workforce, are paid at hourly rates. They serve as mall Santas or delivery drivers during Christmas, and beyond that, they serve us food, clean our airports, wash our dishes, and pack and ship our e-commerce purchases. They have kept us safe and supplied during the pandemic, and now they are using their collective power to disrupt the way businesses think about staffing.
