Finding people in Alaska today is a challenge. This is because there are two job openings for anyone who is looking for jobs. This is 180 degrees from the previous job market of the beginning of 2000, when there were only two applicants per job.
The whole thing was a stalemate over the past couple of years with an unending refrain: the Great Resignation.
Many analysts have attributed the Great Resignation as a reset of kind, a shift in the way people view work. Many people lost their jobs in the midst of the epidemic They were not ready for a return to their previous jobs that were unfulfilling according to reports.
The situation was beginning to change long before the outbreak and is detailed in the most recent issue of the Department of Labor’s state-wide “Alaska Economic Trends.” All across the nation the number of job openings was beginning to increase, and shortages were a result of the fact that Baby Boomers were ageing and leaving the workplace. Demographers had predicted this for years; that it occurred during the middle of the world’s first pandemic in the last century was a an unfortunate coincidence.
Labor economist from the state of Texas Dan Robinson authored the October issue of Trends . He writes, “The pandemic accelerated the inequality by causing some older workers to take a shorter retirement than they normally could have.”
“The three instances that come to my mind the most obvious would be teachers, nurses, and flight attendants” Robinson said. Robinson. “I am thinking about how difficult the work was during COVID.”
And Robinson adds a second crucial point: While some economic trends are slowing down following the epidemic, this trend probably won’t.
“I believe employers will need be able to put in the effort to hire and keep them till the Baby Boomers are completely old-fashioned and we can find some stability” Robinson said. Robinson, “and that might be a time for some businesses to figure out how they can do the same things they previously did but with fewer workers.”
Now the question is, after the employer has identified workers who are suitable for the job, how do you retain them? This issue from October of Trends also examines the rate of job loss and the numbers are also informative. For instance, though wages are a factor in keeping employees, they aren’t the only factor. Certain professions that have high pay such as cell tower installers or highway maintenance workers exhibit extremely high levels of turnover, whereas less lucrative jobs like bartenders and bicycle mechanics are more likely to retain employees. The statistics don’t take into account tips, which can put bartenders in a higher earnings category than bike mechanics however, there is some overlap in less tangible ways, such as social interaction and creativity and dedication to a specific task or goal.
What is it that makes workers leave from their employers? Sometimes, it’s the desire to switch jobs or to do the identical job for a different company with a higher salary. Alaska does not have any hard evidence on this subject, however Robinson mentions a national study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which found that a toxic workplace atmosphere was more than three times likely be a factor in the loss of employees than compensation. Robinson writes “Some characteristics that make up a toxic workplace are unprofessional treatment and a lack of respect for others.”
“It raises the question of what the meaning of workplace toxicity is,” said Robinson. “I did a presentation in Anchorage this week and said the topic and I swear that 10 percent of people present were smiling.”
All of these elements are likely to be present for the two professions that are located in Alaska which have the highest and least rates of turnover. On highest of this list with a turnover rate of 84 percent, are fast food cooks earning around $16 per hour. At the bottom with a turnover of just 8 percent and a salary of just $50 an hour, are architects.
