As summer approaches, retail and service sectors find themselves in a bit of a bind. Their labor shortages have been well-documented and, as Americans return to pre 2020 behaviors, the demands on these industries will only increase. Less workers coupled with more customers is a recipe for disaster.
Fortunately, a temporary solution is likely imminent: summer labor. After two years of uncertainty and tumult, it seems that summer vacation will once again flood retail and service sectors with a temporary workforce to help manage the seasonal rush.
Here are three reasons that vacationing teenagers and young adults are likely to enter the summer labor market in droves…and how I-9 Verifications can help companies manage the influx.
Reason Number One: Things are relatively safer than in the previous two summers
Despite continue variant surges, and mask ordinances seem to come and go with every passing week, we are nonetheless pretty far removed from the summer of 2020. We know more now than we did then—we know more about the spread of the virus, about its transmissibility indoors v. outdoors, and the ways vaccination can reduce serious medical outcomes like hospitalization and death.
So, while there still is plenty to worry about, we are undeniably better informed than we were two years ago. This means that people can make calculated choices about their health with much more information than they had on hand. And one of these calculations, no doubt, relates to the risks and rewards of summer employment.
High school students, college students, and their parents will be making these calculations and, while every case is unique, a lot of them will feel safer than in previous years.
Reason Number Two: Retail and service sectors desperately need them as customers return
Teenagers and young adults on summer vacation tend to work in retail and service sectors—two industries hugely impacted by the spread of COVID-19 and its shutdowns.
Movie theaters, bookstores, hotels, restaurants—the most typical types of summer employment were also the types most affected by the first two years of the pandemic. Yet with vaccination and previous infection offering resistance against the virus, and a general pandemic fatigue taking over the nation, people are more and more inclined to frequent these spaces once again.
This means that employers will be desperate to get laboring bodies in the door—for these companies, summer vacation cannot come quickly enough.
Reason Number Three: The Great Resignation has put even more pressure on employers
As we’ve repeatedly discussed, the job market is, and has been for some time, resoundingly a laborers’ market. We’ve all heard about the great resignation, and we all have friends who have quit their jobs after finding more lucrative ones. Somebody must fill these vacancies if companies are to remain staffed and operational. Common sense tells us that entry-level retail and service positions, the kind that teens flock to for summer work, are the very sectors that have been most depleted by great resignation.
This is why we have been hearing about massive hiring events and job fairs, signing bonuses, retention bonuses, and other incentives to fill out staffing.
Remote I-9 Verifications WIth E-Verify for Rapid Onboarding
As spring turns to summer and companies look to start integrating their summer workforce, they want to get them onboarded and working as quickly as possible. One of the biggest obstacles to clear in this crucial period is ensuring that every worker is eligible for employment and in compliance with federal regulations.
Remote I-9 Verifications add efficiency to companies’ onboarding and compliance efforts. By using TrendSource for employment eligibility verification, companies free up their Human Resources teams to focus on larger initiatives while remaining confident they are rapidly and effectively on boarding their new hires.
Particularly in the early summer when companies are overwhelmed with new workers, more customers, new stock, and new initiatives, finding ways streamline compliance efforts saves companies time and money.
This summer, teens and young adults are likely to find many job opportunities awaiting them. Whatever companies are lucky enough to capitalize on this temporary influx of workers will need to get them working as soon as possible.
TrendSource’s I-9 Verifications with E-Verify help them get the job done.
