Worker Shortage Could Be Bigger Threat Than Inflation, Says Labor Secretary

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh joins Morning Joe to discuss the August jobs report, immigration and why he says a current worker shortage could be a bigger threat to the economy than inflation.


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Worker Shortage Could Be Bigger Threat Than Inflation, Says Labor Secretary

[zenhammer]

There is no worker shortage- there's a fair wage shortage. People are tired of being exploited.

[ronkirk]

Company CEO's and top management making thousands of times more than their lowest paid workers. Who wants to work in that kind of greedy system?

[percivalduffins]

Worker shortage? More like businesses who pay a living wage shortage

[flyer]

There is no 'Worker Shortage'

There is a shortage of jobs that pay living wages.

BIG difference.

[levelsandgear]

If your business model can't survive without exploiting workers, maybe you don't deserve to be in business. I have no sympathy whatsoever for businesses who can't hire. If you can't hire, YOU are doing something wrong.

[KageSama]

There is no such thing as a worker shortage, there is a shortage of companies willing to pay a livable wage.

[jonsturgill]

There is NO labor shortage. It's a living wage shortage that is keeping people from work.

[peterplouf]

If the remuneration is not enough to earn a living wage, its not really a "job" is it? For the last 20 years the economy has been based on industry that requires starving staff and rich clients. This is all to support stockholders. That business model comes to a bad end and we are there.

[markfaulkner]

10 million workers working 10-16 hour days and a surplus of 6 million 4 hour a day minimum wage gig jobs is not a “not enough workers” issue. It’s a corporate smoke and mirrors issue.

How to deal with the whole ‘worker’ issue: STOP THE GREED; Pay a full time livable wage, limit medical costs, make college & childcare accessible.
It’s really easy if you are not always trying to be wealthier than the person next to you.

[sinebar]

If employers want to fill those jobs start by paying a living wage with decent benefits.

[yolandawatson]

People should be able to afford to pay for shelter, transportation, Insurance, food, child care, clothes and leisure time. When you have to pay to work it's not worth it. What you don't want is people learning to live without things, then you'll have a problem. It's really not hard CUT the CEO's profit they are not putting into the Economy the PEOPLE are! once people realize this and STOP spending what little the have Big Businesses are gonna be in trouble!!! RAISE THE problem solved

[maryhadda]

If companies can't afford to pay people enough that they can rent an apartment, I'd say that's a problem.

[marksasoldier]

There is a severe lack of compensation in the U.S.
The majority of employers want back breaking labor for pennies on the dollar. It boils straight down to greed and being either incapable of or purely not adapting to inflation, including for those already working for you.

[podsmpsg]

There's no labor shortage, there's a cheap labor shortage. That's the thing. These people aren't desperate for workers, they just want their slaves back. People want to work, but they're tired of working for slave wages.

[toohundred]

THERE IS NOT A WORKER SHORTAGE!!!! YOU JUST HAVE TO PAY PEOPLE A LIVABLE WAGE!! JESUS THIS IS NOT THAT HARD!!!

[carrieullrich]

There's a decent pay shortage, we should be earning $42 an hour to have the buying power of the original minimum wage.

[jasonw]

Worker shortage? Nope, its a pay shortage.

[Redguard]

I call bs on this shortage I've applied in many places were they're urgently hiring and no call back

[MrKasa]

Maybe start paying people proper wages.

[keanudarkly]

It’s basic economics, scarce goods in high demand fetch a high price. Employers cry that nobody wants to work, while providing a starvation wage. It’s laughable