According to a recent survey of 436 employers in Chester County, almost every one (91 percent) is on the hunt for employees. On average, they currently report up to 10 openings. Ryan Mulligan reported the shortages for the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Eight truly desperate employers responded to the survey by citing their 50 or more positions to fill.
Business leaders note long-term “extended and rich unemployment benefits” as the biggest obstacle to being able to recruit employees. This cause is a common theme among businesses nationwide.
Among other specified reasons are the smaller qualified labor pools in some industries, such as construction and IT.
The survey, conducted by the Chester County Economic Development Council in partnership with Restore Chester County, aimed to determine return-to-work plans, practices, and policies among local employers.
It showed that businesses in the county are continuing to recover from the pandemic and looking forward to a post-pandemic workplace. Around 75 percent of businesses plan to return to their pre-pandemic operational structure, with 34 percent willing to offer full-time remote work or a hybrid model.
Additionally, close to 77 percent of the businesses have not changed the size of their physical operations.
Meanwhile, 13 percent will increase, and nine percent will reduce their space.
Read more about this survey of Chester County employers in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
