Employers struggling to fill positions amid pandemic

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - The job market is taking a significant hit from the coronavirus pandemic with many workers furloughed or laid off for months.

Now that numbers in Georgia continue to trend downward, job placement establishments say businesses are beginning to hire once more.

Just a quick drive around Muscogee County shows dozens of places with ‘now hiring’ signs, but according to Staffing Connections CEO John Boggs, employers are having a hard time filling those positions since many people no longer have the desire to work after receiving employment.

Others may be fearful of returning to work amid a pandemic also.

“Today, we have also noticed a lot of pay inflation,” said Boggs. “Some of the companies, especially the Kia plant out in Opelika, can’t find workers at any price. So, they have had to raise their rates drastically. Some people who have kept the minimum wage in Georgia, which is $7.25 an hour, have also had an extremely hard time getting workers lately.”

Staffing Connections is a staffing agency that helps place people in jobs in the area. Since the pandemic hit, the agency was down to around 100 temporary employees. Now with some normalcy resuming, Staffing Connections has successfully employed nearly 500 people, but Boggs said that is no where near what the numbers were this time last year.

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