Disney Labor Shortage

[Tony the Tigger]

I think that's part of it for sure, and I know a couple of families who restructured their budgets to accommodate that. (I know I considered it myself, once I realized how little we could truly "get by on.") I think boomers who were nudged by COVID-related health concerns into retirement (or who were out-and-out killed by COVID, as three nearing-retirement-age workers I knew were), is another part.

Also - again, speaking anecdotally - a number of 20-somethings I know who were formerly working multiple, less-desirable jobs in service industries to stay afloat, were able to move into full-time, more traditional jobs, to take the place of others who were retiring - some with credentials and certifications they earned online while homebound during the pandemic. Now there are way fewer people to take those service industry jobs, and because those jobs are highly visible, everybody feels their absence. I think it creates a false perception that people are sitting at home and "don't want to work," when in reality, the people who used to have those jobs have just moved on to better ones. In fact, the current unemployment rate in the U.S. is currently the lowest it's been since before the pandemic.

Yep.

My spouse was in the restaurant/stadium industry for 20 years. His pay was not terrible because he was in management - but before the pandemic, the business was sold and they fired all management to install their own (not uncommon.) So when Covid hit, he was helping a friend with catering while interviewing around. Needless to say, when we shut down, he was completely out of work. (We both did gig deliveries to get by.)

But he saw this as an opportunity. He withdrew from his 401K to pay for nursing school starting last August. He’ll graduate in a few months, and that’s one less person in the restaurant business.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

You want entry-level fry cooks making $50,000 a year?

Turnover in frontline service positions is a feature, not a bug. "Ride operator at Space Mountain" isn't a career and it's not meant to be.

With what I have to teach newbies, I could charge college tuition.

 

[mkt]

Could it be that the entire tourism industry sucks in the wage department. It's been a minute since I was a youngin but I remember when I worked in the service industry pay was notoriously bad

Turnover in frontline service positions is a feature, not a bug. "Ride operator at Space Mountain" isn't a career and it's not meant to be.

I'm aware of this, but given that WDW is a union employer that offers far greater benefits than other competing employers, and TWDC as a whole provides far greater opportunities for advancement than most service industry employers, it shouldn't be nearly as bad as it is.

 

[mkt]

You want entry-level fry cooks making $50,000 a year?

I don't want them earning poverty wages.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Yep.

My spouse was in the restaurant/stadium industry for 20 years. His pay was not terrible because he was in management - but before the pandemic, the business was sold and they fired all management to install their own (not uncommon.) So when Covid hit, he was helping a friend with catering while interviewing around. Needless to say, when we shut down, he was completely out of work. (We both did gig deliveries to get by.)

But he saw this as an opportunity. He withdrew from his 401K, and started nursing school last August. He’ll graduate in a few months, and that’s one less person in the restaurant business.

There's no shortage of openings for him when he finishes school, I can tell you that. COVID has been brutal on nurse retention.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I don't want them earning poverty wages.

They're high school students.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Let me know how that works out.

Almost all economists would like to know, too. According to their models (from all different political and theoretical leanings), the U.S. Government should have financially collapsed a decade ago. They're currently... befuddled.

Anyone who begins expositing on this with "You can't..." is wrong. Because it already has. They're just moving the goal posts they set a decade ago.

I'm not saying this is sustainable. I'm just saying the breaking point isn't where everyone thought it would be. And they keep moving the breaking point and they keep getting wrong the consequences of that.

And, yes, there are those economists trying to explain how this could be and where their new breaking point is. To them, I say, "money printer go brrrrrr."

 

[mkt]

They're high school students.

That's great. How do you know they aren't helping their parents pay the bills?

Not everyone in the US is financially comfortable.

 

[mkt]

Almost all economists would like to know, too. According to their models (from all different political and theoretical leanings), the U.S. Government should have financially collapsed a decade ago. They're currently... befuddled.

Easy. Because economics, even though math and statistics are some of the main skills in use, owing to factors beyond its control that aren't as easily quantifiable (consumer confidence, the weather, a pandemic, human greed, etc), is more of an art than it is a science.

Once you realize this, you can laugh at the world.

 

[Lil Copter Cap]

They're high school students.

...you're kidding, right?

 

[Willmark]

Almost all economists would like to know, too. According to their models (from all different political and theoretical leanings), the U.S. Government should have financially collapsed a decade ago.

Just because it hasn’t yet doesn’t mean it won’t.

They're currently... befuddled.

Certainly.

And, yes, there are those economists trying to explain how this could be and where their new breaking point is. To them, I say, "money printer go brrrrrr."

I agree with the idea of the money printer, but I’m guessing for different reasons perhaps.

After all it’s amazIng how fast the printer has been whirling:

35% of all US Dollars ever printed were printed this year – Investment Watch

www.investmentwatchblog.com

(For those who don’t like that link there are plenty of others out there).

 

[Willmark]

You want entry-level fry cooks making $50,000 a year?

Your sarcasm detector might need some fine tuning.

 

[John park hopper]

That's great. How do you know they aren't helping their parents pay the bills?

Not everyone in the US is financially comfortable.

If they are helping parents pay the bills guess they are living at home --no rent. There has not been a society on earth that has not had a segment that is poor. If you pay everybody higher wages regardless of skills all your do is drive up the cost of everything --rent food, etc etc and you are right back to where you started

 

[Lilofan]

If they are helping parents pay the bills guess they are living at home --no rent. There has not been a society on earth that has not had a segment that is poor. If you pay everybody higher wages regardless of skills all your do is drive up the cost of everything --rent food, etc etc and you are right back to where you started

One other aspect of young ones helping out their loved ones is that some young migrants live multiple people in a one or two bedroom, sleep on a mattress spread throughout the floor, some " hot racking " with others and most of their weekly income gets sent Western Union to their home countries to help their parents , families. The money they keep is to pay rent, food etc. We've seen it with our own eyes when we put a For Sale sign on our Honda and we had to go to to their apt nearby so they can pay us in cash. They were approx 8 people living in a 1 bed/1 bath apt.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Your sarcasm detector might need some fine tuning.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

...you're kidding, right?

I made more than minimum wage when I was 15, and I was an idiot. If you're a grown person making less than 15-year-old-me, you've put yourself in that situation voluntarily (excepting those with bona fide disabilities).

 

[mkt]

I made more than minimum wage when I was 15, and I was an idiot.

Same. But it wasn't a living wage even then.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Same. But it wasn't a living wage even then.

“Living wage” is a made up construct.

If I offer you $25 to mow my lawn, it’s because that’s what the job is worth to me vs. doing it myself. It has nothing to do with what you are worth or what your rent is. Take the gig or don’t.

If you went to school to become a doctor, you don’t need to accept such gigs.

If you’re in school to become a lawyer, this will buy you some pizza and build some character.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

That's great. How do you know they aren't helping their parents pay the bills?

Not everyone in the US is financially comfortable.

How do you know they can make change correctly? How do you know they aren’t going to be on their phones more than working? How do you know if they will understand merchandising concepts, treat customers well and respectfully? People will say anything in an interview. How do you know they won’t make mistakes that cost the business hundreds of dollars? How do you know it isn’t going to take them weeks to learn something that should take one day?

Many are not “worth” (to the business) hiring at all, let alone at a particular wage.

 

[mkt]

“Living wage” is a made up construct.

Every word and concept is a made up construct, what's your point?