Associated Press (04/21/21) Rosenberg, Joyce

Businesses are having trouble filling the jobs, which in turn hurts their ability to keep up with demand for their products or services. Owners say that some would-be workers are worried about catching Covid-19 or prefer to live off unemployment benefits that are significantly higher amid the pandemic. A Census survey taken in late March shows that 6.3 million did not seek work because they had to care for a child, and 4.1 million said they feared contracting or spreading the virus. But smaller companies that often cannot offer pay and benefits as generous as larger companies have a tougher time.

“A shortage of talent is nothing new for small businesses, but the circumstances surrounding this shortage are entirely different,” says Jill Chapman, a consultant with Insperity, a human resources provider.

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