Big labour shortages to continue in food, hotel industries

I've had countless conversations with regular customers about this. I talk to people from all over the map, from trade related (especially) to retail everyone is needing more people to work. The question that is most common is "Where the hell did everyone go?". "Why are there more jobs open than people to fill them?" I just don't get it.

This is what is causing inflation. 'Cheap' labour has dried up over the pandemic. They have moved to other jobs that improve the quality of life and work from home. Something owners just can't throw money at to solve to retain them. Why wash dishes and get screamed at by ungrateful customers when you can work on your laptop at home in a job you can get actual benefits? Not only that they can work 2 or even three jobs at home at the same time.

Automation, coupled with 'self service' (like hello fresh) is going to be the only option for a lot of these businesses to stay afloat. Most wont innovate and be driven out and once the market has corrected we are going to see a lot less people in these jobs because the ones left will be running with as few humans as possible.

^ This.

The shortage isn't workers - it's workers willing to work long hours for low wages.

Ever wonder why Costco never has a shortage of workers? They start their employees at several bucks/hour over minimum wage and offer benefits to most of their employees. If McDonald's and Tim Horton's want more staff, it's as simple as offering more money.

During the boom here in Alberta, it was common to see McDonald's offering $4-6/hour more than minimum wage, at least until Harper let in a flood of TFWs, who got minimum wage.

While I still prefer educating young people to get off the McJob hamster wheel, minimum wage and a lack of benefits/good working conditions are key factors in industries facing job shortages now.