More than 90% of employers feel labor shortages inhibit growth, per survey

In a recent survey of more than 300 business leaders, 92% say that workforce issues are a barrier to business growth.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – In a recent survey of more than 300 business leaders, 92% say that workforce issues are a barrier to business growth.

In Lincoln, several businesses are dealing with the challenges brought about by labor shortages.

“As an employer, I’m bending over backwards more than what I used to in the past,” Buzzard Billy’s general manager Steve Engel said.

Engel says the restaurant has had to increase wages by 15 to 20% without changing their food prices in order to recruit and retain employees.

“You find that if everything’s not perfect for them, they’re not going to take the position,” Engel said.

Not only is it tough for Buzzard Billy’s to find workers, since the start of the pandemic, Engel says it’s difficult to keep a full staff many nights.

One reason is because COVID-19 has forced everyone in the restaurant industry to take sick leave much more seriously.

“You find that there’s at least one or two people calling in sick every single day, and it makes it so much more difficult to staff the floor,” Engel said. “The customers are somewhat understanding, but when they see five empty tables, they wonder why is that happening.”

It’s not just the restaurant industry that is feeling the squeeze from labor shortages.

“We now have 50,000 to 70,000 jobs open in Nebraska that we can’t fill,” Nebraska Chamber of Commerce president Bryan Slone.

Slone explains that two key factors have contributed to the labor shortages.

“The birth rate in the United States and in Nebraska has been declining, so our population has been aging,” Slone said. “At the same time, our economy has been expanding for well over a decade at a very high rate. So we’re creating all these new jobs, but we’re not creating enough people to fill those jobs.”

Bryan Seck, a recruiter for Kawasaki Motors, says he’s seen the same thing: He’s constantly on the search for people to fill production, welding, engineering and office positions.

“We had a 3% unemployment rate before the pandemic, now we have a 1.3% unemployment rate,” Seck said.

To put it simply, there just aren’t enough people out there to fill all of these jobs, forcing companies to get creative.

“How do you go find that person who has a part time job, but wants to work full time? How do you find that person that maybe they’re doing something right now, but they want to try something different? That’s really our target,” Seck said. “Only thinking about the unemployed folks won’t help us fill all of our positions.”