As US jobs markets have rebounded from the pandemic, American small businesses are struggling to hire, and they find it challenging to fill job vacancies mainly due to low unemployment, significant labor shortages, and fierce competition. While some small businesses have closed down because they couldn’t hire on time, others have become very creative in hiring hard-to-find staffers, which seems to be working. For instance, some small business owners are hiring high schoolers and incentivizing them by feeding them two to three meals a day and buying them groceries, uniforms, and footwear. Meanwhile, others offer flexible work schedules instead of the usual 8-to-4 or 9-to-5 type of jobs.
