A Big part of the Big Problem... Staffing

[dioxide45]

This year, for the first time, I have started to hear radio advertisements from Disney of big job fairs and hiring events. Disney used to have people falling over themselves to work for them, those days are probably now in the past. Disney is having to go out and recruit in a more competitive job market.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Now they've heard from friends who still work there that a new point system for missed days has been implemented.

Nothing has been implemented. Disney has proposed some changes and is talking to the unions. Some cast members are assuming the worse.

 

[mom2rtk]

The little people have already been impacted by residential zoned property selling for upwards of $80m an acre. In Seattle they have been forced to move out to the suburbs in search of cheaper housing. They end up with very long commutes.

So does that somehow exempt them from the very painful effects of a recession?

You know what’s worse than a long commute? A long commute with lots less value for your dollar. And high gas prices.

 

[MillauFr]

So does that somehow exempt them from the very painful effects of a recession?

Inflation is what is really hurting people with lower incomes. Having inflation back to 2% would help them. There is such a shortage of workers this might be the first recession we have without massive job losses.

 

[Jrb1979]

With the amount of jobs out there, there is no reason for anyone to be out of work.

 

[MillauFr]

With the amount of jobs out there, there is no reason for anyone to be out of work.

Except for many when they work they have to find daycare. With infant care here pushing $3k per month you need to be working at some tech firm to make it pencil out. You are right though there are plenty of jobs available. Even at Amazon in Seattle with high salaries they have 11,000 job openings in the city they are trying to fill.

 

[dioxide45]

I think many of the people that haven't gone back into the labor force post pandemic haven't done so because they have determined that they may be better just having a single income household instead of two income. They have daycare costs and when they price things out, it isn't worth working for a few dollars an hour after paying for daycare. So there are now a lot of households where mom or dad stay home while the other parent continues to work. These people staying home would normally be in the labor force. I haven't seen any statistics on daycare enrollments over the last five years, i would be surprised if we were back to pre pandemic levels. I suspect numbers of kids enrolled in daycare are way down compared to 2019.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

I know that there are many factors that contribute to rising inflation but isn’t the rise in wages one of them?

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Except for many when they work they have to find daycare. With infant care here pushing $3k per month you need to be working at some tech firm to make it pencil out. You are right though there are plenty of jobs available. Even at Amazon in Seattle with high salaries they have 11,000 job openings in the city they are trying to fill.

And the solution to that? Hint - it's not a government mandate that everyone earn $80/hr. It's increasing the supply. More people should open up providing day care at more reasonable prices. The more places that do that, the most the cost will drop. Then those people with children could afford to take reasonably paid jobs.

It's a good example of labor that can not be automated (at least, we are not at a stage where we are going to have robot babysitters en mass yet). Which is a better future than working in a warehouse pulling product which can easily (and is) being constantly automated. But it does require thinking and yes - the days although less physically demanding, can be more mentally wearing. But someone could make a good living it sounds like opening up a place offering daycare at just under the local rate.

 

[MillauFr]

And the solution to that? Hint - it's not a government mandate that everyone earn $80/hr. It's increasing the supply. More people should open up providing day care at more reasonable prices. The more places that do that, the most the cost will drop. Then those people with children could afford to take reasonably paid jobs.

It's a good example of labor that can not be automated (at least, we are not at a stage where we are going to have robot babysitters en mass yet). Which is a better future than working in a warehouse pulling product which can easily (and is) being constantly automated. But it does require thinking and yes - the days although less physically demanding, can be more mentally wearing. But someone could make a good living it sounds like opening up a place offering daycare at just under the local rate.

I'm actually shocked that there are as many day cares as there are. No one is getting rich running a day care. When you are paying $50,000 a month in rent and $30 an hour to find any qualified staff your expenses add up fast.

 

[BadPinkTink]

With the amount of jobs out there, there is no reason for anyone to be out of work.

very easy to say if you are financially secure and not living pay check to paycheck.

Yes there are people who dont want to work and choose to live on benefits. But there just as many people who want to work but cant.

There are many invisible barriers to getting a job which people dont realize.

Transport
Living in an area where commuting is the only option but not being able to afford the expense of a car to do the commute. Or needing to commute, not having a car and no public transport to the location of the job.

Wanting to get a job but being over qualified for the jobs available and being disqualified from the recruitment process.

Jobs being advertised online but the jobseeker not having access to the internet. Yes everyone has a mobile phone, but many people with limited available money use pay as you go and don't have the data plans for internet use.

Not passing the online recruitment first stage even though they are the ideal candidate due not having specific keywords in their application, which is rejected by the recruitment software.

 

[Jrb1979]

And the solution to that? Hint - it's not a government mandate that everyone earn $80/hr. It's increasing the supply. More people should open up providing day care at more reasonable prices. The more places that do that, the most the cost will drop. Then those people with children could afford to take reasonably paid jobs.

It's a good example of labor that can not be automated (at least, we are not at a stage where we are going to have robot babysitters en mass yet). Which is a better future than working in a warehouse pulling product which can easily (and is) being constantly automated. But it does require thinking and yes - the days although less physically demanding, can be more mentally wearing. But someone could make a good living it sounds like opening up a place offering daycare at just under the local rate.

You know instead of worrying about daycare, you can do what my family does. My wife works mornings and I work afternoons.

 

[xdan0920]

With infant care here pushing $3k per month

Where?

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm actually shocked that there are as many day cares as there are. No one is getting rich running a day care. When you are paying $50,000 a month in rent and $30 an hour to find any qualified staff your expenses add up fast.

You're extrapolating Seattle issues across the entire country.

 

[MillauFr]

You're extrapolating Seattle issues across the entire country.

I just don't understand why more firms don't move from high costs cities to lower cost ones. Amazon needed to expand to other cities to get more talent so where do they go? Northern Virginia, NYC, and the Bay Area. Makes no sense.

 

[mom2rtk]

I just don't understand why more firms don't move from high costs cities to lower cost ones. Amazon needed to expand to other cities to get more talent so where do they go? Northern Virginia, NYC, and the Bay Area. Makes no sense.

Lots of others are. Disney isn't moving a bunch of employees from CA to Lake Nona becuase they love Florida more.

 

[BadPinkTink]

You know instead of worrying about daycare, you can do what my family does. My wife works mornings and I work afternoons.

Again very easy to say if you are in a relationship and have family support. Not everyone does. Many one parent families who can only work when the child is in school, but then find there are no jobs with those hours.

 

[MillauFr]

Lots of others are. Disney isn't moving a bunch of employees from CA to Lake Nona becuase they love Florida more.

But isn't that just it? Even the ones that move are going to a state that has the fastest price appreciation of any state in the country. Why not move to states with a low cost of living so their employees can afford to buy homes.

 

[mom2rtk]

But isn't that just it? Even the ones that move are going to a state that has the fastest price appreciation of any state in the country. Why not move to states with a low cost of living so their employees can afford to buy homes.

Well, in my example they couldn't exactly move them to Iowa. And I think even FL looked cheap compared with CA. And very appealing to not have state income tax for their employees. Lots of migration to Texas recently for the same reason.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

It's a challenging issue for sure, and I don't think there are any easy answers. Obviously if there were, we would have taken that off-ramp already. But it highlights some of the obstacles faced by our society today.

I think the obvious point here is that Disney is not the only employer with issues, and CM's are not the only employees with difficulties.