Jobs return post-COVID, but are they good enough?
As the Vermont economy reopens, there’s a lot of talk about jobs going unfilled. In fact, we don’t have good state-level data on how many jobs are open, what they are, or how much they pay. We know Vermont lost more low-wage than high-wage jobs last year, so it’s likely that many of the jobs returning now are at the low end of the scale.
But the scale could change. Nationally, according to the New York Times and the Washington Post, the pandemic increased the risks and stresses of many lower-wage jobs. Workers quit and are holding out for better jobs. That has forced some employers to offer higher pay and left those that haven’t in the lurch.
There are other barriers to work, too, including continued COVID risk and scarce affordable child care. Vaccinations will mitigate the former. And parents may get relief with the monthly child tax credit starting in July and school openings and vaccinations for younger children in the fall.
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Private-sector jobs increased by 2,000 last month, to 242,800. That means those employers have restored or replaced more than 70 percent of the net jobs lost during the pandemic.
