Central Florida businesses are struggling to hire employees. Here’s why

You’ve probably noticed it when you’re out and about.

Wanted to grab a quick coffee? You’re favorite coffee shop is temporarily closed.

Then maybe you go get gas and see the signs on the door: They’re hiring, and it comes with a big bonus.

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Then you decide to grab food at your favorite local spot and see another now hiring sign.

At Cilantro’s Taqueria, they’ve recovered well from the pandemic.

“We’re very grateful for that,” said Eduardo Hinojosa with the restaurant. “But now we have a problem. The problem is that we don’t have employees. We cannot get one person to walk in to fill out an application.”

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That struggle to hire employees is happening across the country. Big corporations and small businesses are both feeling it.

Dr. Amanda Phailin, an economist with the University of Florida said, “It’s not a labor shortage. Businesses aren’t paying enough for people to come back in this market.”

Phailin called it a “wage gap.”

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“I think there are plenty of people who want to return to work, but they want to do so safely.”

She said would-be employees are pushing for higher wages because the benefit has to outweigh any pandemic risks.

See the full story in the video above.

Cox Media Group