WYOMING, Mich. — Despite 2020 producing some of the highest unemployment numbers in American history, employment experts say the job market is open and excited for workers this holiday season.
"I think the economy was really strong heading into COVID, and then certainly bc of COVID we had to sort of turn the light switch off. Then, when the light switched turned back on, in that we could be open for business again, there was still a thriving economy behind it," said Janis Petrini, owner and operator of Express Employment Professionals, said.
On average, Express Employment Professionals serves about five thousand people and 500-600 companies a year find employment solutions. Petrini said this year all of its retailers said they will bring additional team members in for seasonal work, though work may look different amid the pandemic.
"72% of Americans surveyed say that they’ll do more than half of their shopping online," she said, "The other big push is the order online and pick up at the store is up 48%. So that adds customer service people. It adds people doing a lot of picking and packing and fulfilling orders."
Department stores like Macy's have already begun their seasonal hiring process. Petrini said most of the customer service businesses she's worked with have been hiring since the beginning of the pandemic, saying there's a "severe shortage" in areas like manufacturing and retail.
"Walmart added 500,000 people since COVID. They'll probably add another 30,000 people for seasonal work," Petrini said.
While there are a influx of jobs available, Petrini said it's still been difficult for companies to find workers to take the positions, adding that the need for labor puts workers in a good position to make higher wages.
"They're offering retention bonuses. They're offering attendance bonuses...The wages are more than they've ever been, and so we encourage people start your job search now.
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