4 critical reasons hiring is so hard right now, from child care issues to a changing retail environment due to COVID, according to Best Buy's CEO
- Retail and service employers across America are struggling to hire workers as lockdowns lift.
- Between child care issues and health safety concerns, chains like Best Buy are lacking staff.
- Those are two of four prime reasons Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said it's having hiring issues.
Like so many other retail and restaurant chains across the United States, Best Buy is struggling to find enough workers for its stores as vaccination numbers climb and COVID-driven lockdowns ease
There are a few good reasons for this, according to Best Buy CEO Corie Barry: Childcare complications, health and safety concerns, and major competition for hiring, are among the most impactful reasons for the ongoing labor shortage, Barry told CNN.
"There is a real lack of childcare that still exists," Barry said.
Though children 12 and up are now eligible for COVID vaccines, many parents are taking care of children under 12. And child care facilities in many parts of the US still aren't back to pre-pandemic levels.
On top of that, health safety concerns are still looming in the minds of many potential employees, Barry said.
Though vaccination rates are increasing, with over half of American adults now fully vaccinated, the potential to get infected in a retail environment is still a threat. A variety of retailers, including Best Buy, have outright lifted mask mandates for vaccinated customers - but without verification, employees must rely on the honor system to know if the customer they're helping is vaccinated.
Though President Biden has called on employers to allow workers time off for vaccine shots and recovery, that was specific to full-time workers - and many workers say they still haven't gotten a vaccine because they can't afford to miss any work.
Lastly, one major obstacle for hiring retail and service workers is hiring competition from other retail chains. If Walmart or CVS or Target provides better incentives, better pay, and/or a more safe work environment, Best Buy can attempt to compete with its own incentives.
But the reality is there are only so many people willing to work retail and service jobs right now, and the demand is greater than ever.
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