In 2020, several states canceled unemployment benefits for millions of people – months before they were scheduled to. State officials said this was done to combat “labor shortages,” as many employers have argued that too-generous unemployment benefits are why “nobody wants to work.”
The only problem is, it’s not true.
A recent study showed that employment rates were nearly identical in states that cut unemployment benefits early compared to those that didn’t. Despite the benefit cancellation, there are still several million more job openings in this country than there are unemployed people.
This shows that unemployment checks weren’t the reason people were avoiding some jobs.
The real reason some companies can’t hire? They have failed to create safe, empowering working conditions – and the pandemic inspired people to refuse these toxic environments. There isn’t enough money to supplement the stress a toxic job can cause – especially at the very low wages typically being offered.
The truth is that most people DO want to work – unemployment is actually at an all-time low and is back to pre-pandemic levels. But these days, workers have the power to be more picky and to choose jobs with good pay and good benefits.
Employers should take note.