It’s just too easy and lazy to say “people don’t want to work”, or “they’re sitting home getting paid.” The data says otherwise–and it’s just not that simple. Some employees have gotten used to working from home. Others can’t find child care. Maybe they now know that they can do way better than $8/hour plus tips.
Could it be that some of the leverage is swinging over to workers? Companies will just have to respond.
This is a terrific article from a few weeks ago.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/04/opinion/labor-shortage-biden-covid.html