Page 12 - BusinessWest September 15, 2021
P. 12

 Editorial
MA Persistent Labor Challenge
ost business owners and managers in this region had many people reluctant to wade into the water, or back in the water, circled Sept. 3 on their calendars long ago. as the case may be. Also, millions of Americans were able to retire
That’s the day when roughly 3 million Americans were during the pandemic, and the many challenges stemming from
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 going to see their extended unemployment benefits — those $300 weekly bonus checks — expire, with little, if any, hope that the pay- ments would be extended.
Thus, early September was supposed to be the time when a dis- tressingly challenging labor market was supposed to begin improv- ing and the pendulum was supposed to start swinging back toward employer. How much of a swing, no one knew, but there was to be a swing.
Well, it’s now mid-September, and those in the business com- munity are waiting anxiously to see just what will happen now that the benefits have stopped and, supposedly, people will be heading back to the workforce.
It’s still early, and anything can happen, but many signs now point toward a softer, less pronounced improvement in the job market than people anticipated, and for a number of reasons, as outlined in the story on page 6. In simple terms, it seems clear that the problem runs much deeper than the extra unemployment ben- efits, although that has certainly been a factor.
Indeed, any time people can make more money sitting at home than they can working hard for eight hours a day, it’s only logical that many would choose the former path, and that’s why these benefits should have stopped long before Sept. 3.
But the benefits are only one of many reasons why people are not seeking employment — or seeking it and not finding it. Day- care is a huge issue for many. That industry has been hard hit by the workforce crisis, and services are just not as readily available as they once were. Meanwhile, COVID-19 and the Delta variant have
Opinion
COVID, especially in the workplace, gave them the impetus to take that step. Still others decided they just didn’t want to work for mini- mum wage, especially in the middle of the pandemic.
As for the hospitality sector, many people left it at the height
of the pandemic in early 2020 when restaurants, bars, and hotels were shuttered, and they found something else — something bet- ter — and now, they’re not going back. There’s a similar story in healthcare, especially within the nursing field, but other special- ties as well, as burnout from COVID has taken a huge toll on these professionals.
As for those who are seeking work, many of them still lack the skills they need to be good candidates for many of the jobs that are being posted, a continuation of a situation that existed in 2019, when, overall, there were far more openings than there were quali- fied people to fill them.
Add all this up, and it seems clear that, while it was still good to circle Sept. 3 on the calendar, the end of those unemployment ben- efits is not likely to be the end of the region’s labor issues. The prob- lems are far more deep-rooted. And who knows what the impact will be of President Biden’s plans to require vaccination and/or testing for all employees of companies with more than 100 work- ers? It may put more still workers on the sidelines, and it may put more of them in the pipeline.
Stay tuned.
Those two words apply to just about every aspect of a workforce crisis that is deep, sometimes puzzling, and very persistent. v
  We Need More Representation, Not Less
UBy Nancy Urbschat
.S. Census results were released
just over a month ago and, over-
all, revealed some good news for the Commonwealth. The Bay State’s population grew by 7.4%, making it
the fastest-growing New England state. Not surprisingly, most of this growth occurred in the east. Suffolk County added 73,000 residents, and the county with the most growth was Middlesex County, adding 129,000 residents. In the west, Hampshire County grew by 2.7%, and Hampden County was up a half- percent. The only two counties in the Commonwealth to lose population were Berkshire and Franklin.
As for cities, Boston, Worcester, and
the gateway cities near Boston grew sig- nificantly. In fact, Lynn, Lawrence, and Brockton all recorded double-digit growth. Not so for the gateway cities in our region. Secretary of State William Galvin recently observed, “Western Mass. has been short- changed for a long time.” It looks as though it may happen again.
Population drives representation. Some have proposed having just one senator rep- resenting all of Springfield, rather than two.
Currently, Springfield is well-served by Sen. Adam Gomez and Sen. Eric Lesser. Newly elected Sen. Gomez lives in Springfield, is
a small-business owner, and served three terms on the Springfield City Council. He is a strong advocate for social justice and eco- nomic opportunity for all his constituents. He represents Chicopee, Springfield, and West Springfield.
Sen. Lesser is currently serving his fourth term representing nine communi- ties, including Springfield. He is the most senior senator in the Western Mass. del- egation. From his first days in office, he has pursued the expansion of rail service and greater economic opportunity for the region. He holds leadership positions in powerful Senate committees.
The actions of Sens. Gomez and Lesser make it clear they believe the residents
of Greater Springfield deserve the same opportunities for education, transporta- tion, economic development, and quality of life as those who live in and around Bos- ton. If there was ever a need for more rep- resentation rather than less, it’s now.
Furthermore, these matters have impli- cations for the entire region. Isolating
Springfield, the third-largest city, from sur- rounding cities and towns makes no sense. For years people have talked about the need for Springfield to serve as the region’s hub for culture, the arts, entertainment, jobs, and educational opportunity. In many respects, Springfield has all the elements. The problem is a lack of resources. That’s what Sens. Gomez and Lesser give voice to and fight for in Boston.
I no longer live in Springfield, but I have owned a business here since 1985. Over these many years, I have observed the ever- widening gap between Eastern and West- ern Mass.
I’m reminded of a conversation I had with some folks about how we could bridge that gap. The best idea came from a Bay- state Health physician: move the state capi- tal to Springfield.
Short of that, I suggest we maintain Springfield’s shared representation by two state senators. v
Nancy Urbschat is a principal with TSM Design.
 12 SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
OPINION
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