During lunch at the University of Idaho, the ISUB is usually flooded with crowds of students trying to grab a bite to eat before their next class. Lines used zig-zag in front of Chick-fil-A and Qdoba, and crowds of people rushed to get in line at Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Now, because of labor and product shortages due to the pandemic, those places have been closed off with metal doors, made inaccessible to students. Einstein’s menu is severely limited, and is the only place students can snag some lunch in the ISUB.
Otherwise, they are forced to walk down to The Eatery or the Moscow Co-Op extension, both of which are inaccessible in the short amount of time between classes. Another option is the vending machine, but all these options are more difficult than packing a lunch from home.
Meanwhile, the employees are working their tails off to make sure students can get what they’re able to provided. Employers are being forced to cut hours to keep their employees healthy, or make them work overtime while risking their health.
The effects of the labor shortage aren’t seen only on campus either. Last summer, Moscow’s local McDonald’s was hiring at a starting rate of $11 an hour. That rate has slowly crept up to $13, then to the $15 hourly rate it is now.
While it’s nice to see wages well above Idaho’s minimum wage of $7.25, it’s sad to see local businesses having to cut hours or limit options because of the effects of the pandemic.
The single cause of the labor shortage is difficult to pinpoint. There have been a variety of consequences Idaho has suffered because of this pandemic, but it seems like the lack of employees across the state is creating huge problems for everyone, including the lack of accessible food on campus.
Valley Vision President and CEO Scott Corbitt told the Moscow-Pullman Daily News he believes one of the causes of the labor shortage is an increase in new job openings in the growing manufacturing sector while being confronted with a decrease of people in the workforce.
Corbitt also mentioned the amount of retiring trade workers, whose skills are difficult to replace, compared to the low numbers of younger generations in the workforce.
Despite Idaho’s all-time-high unemployment rate of 11.6% in April 2020, the economy has bounced back to low unemployment rates, around 3%. But the number of new positions paired with some choosing to leave the workforce is part of what is causing such a massive shortage.
While the labor shortage may seem like a disaster now, possibly with years before a solution is reached, this is our opportunity to push for something better.
Parents can push for more remote work so they have more time to care for their children.
Students can push for more flexible hours so they have time for homework and to take care of themselves.
Everyone can push for wages that can support someone with the increasing cost of living. When looking for new employees, employers should be considering the rising costs of housing, daycare, groceries and other necessary things people pay for to continue living a life in America.
Life during a pandemic, especially in Idaho, is more risky than it should be for those in the workforce. Recovering from this labor shortage will be easier said than done, but we will eventually get there with patience, empathy, understanding and a sense of humanity.
This is the time for businesses to step up and make Moscow, Idaho and America a better place to live and work.
Editorial Board