Brooklyn businesses say unemployment benefits keeping workers away
New York | May 11, 2021
About two-thirds of Brooklyn’s merchants are having difficulty hiring workers as they seek to ramp up operations following the coronavirus shutdowns — and many are blaming generous federal emergency jobless benefits approved by President Biden for keeping people home, a new survey reveals.
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce poll of 200 small businesses found that 64 percent were having trouble hiring people. A significant 42 percent of respondents cited higher COVID-19 emergency jobless benefits extended through September — including the $300 weekly supplement — as discouraging people from returning to the workforce because the government checks pay as much or more than the city’s $15 minimum wage.
The survey also found that 41 percent of merchants said they couldn’t provide adequate hours to employees as they slowly emerge from the pandemic; 28 percent said employees had moved on to other jobs; 12 percent said workers had safety concerns; 7 percent reported losing contact with former employees and 5 percent cited employee health issues.
Several business owners also said employees cited inadequate access to childcare as hindering a return to work. “While there are a lot of reasons to be excited about the recovery and the future of small businesses in our borough, the reality is significant hiring issues exist right now that we need to address,” said Randy Peers, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce…
(Excerpts from New York Post)