Major labor shortage causing longer wait times, higher prices for consumers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — According to Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity, during the week of May 29, 2020, there were more than 7,600 people in Duval County applying for unemployment benefits.

Fast forward one year later, there were only 420 new claimants. It’s a big sign that our local economy is getting back on track.

You might also notice “help wanted” is plastered on almost every street in Jacksonville. Local industries are facing a major labor shortage, causing consumers to wait longer and pay more.

“Hiring has been nonexistent. We struggle to get any applications in at all,” said Rebecca Winchester, owner of Toscana Little Italy in Miramar.

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More patrons and fewer staff members are contributing to longer wait times, and those on the clock are working tirelessly to try and keep up.

“A lot of what we are experiencing right now is an uptick in dine-in customers, and we don’t have the staff to be able to give them the experience we normally would have before all of this happened,” she said.

And for Toscana Little Italy, it’s doing something it’s never had to before just to try and get positions filled.

“We’re using a headhunter company, honestly, to bring in some of our applicants,” Winchester said.

Donald Wiggins, president of Heritage Capital Group, said almost every industry is facing this issue. And the reason, Wiggins said, is primarily due to the current unemployment benefits.

“If you are at the max of unemployment, and the subsidy it’s about $30,000, so you can make $30,000 for not working,” he said.

Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reinstated work search requirements for those on unemployment — something that had been waived due to the pandemic.

On June 26, Florida will no longer be giving out the $300 subsidy from the federal government to claimants.

And until this issue is resolved, which Wiggins believes could be three to four months from now, he said he doesn’t think “there’s any question that this will cause the price of restaurants to go up. And other services, just like the increase in building materials, has caused the price of construction to go up. I mean, that’s just economic reality.”

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In the meantime, businesses are pleading for patience and understanding.

Winchester said, “Go with the flow; it will get better. Once everyone starts coming back to work and applying, we will be a little better, I think.”

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