Nobody wants to work anymore. Those that are, are slammed and can’t keep up. It seems that way in most all trades/crafts.
That's an over simplification of things, tbh. Plenty of folks would love to work. The issue is that in many trades work isn't worth the work. For the last 30 years, consumers as a whole have devalued work and manufacturing to the point that production must be "cheapest" in order to chase the pure capitalism dragon of letting the markets dictate cost. That's a whole other issue for another forum. However, there is a indeed a massive materials issue that is impacting everything right now.
I have even seen this in my industry, which is very niche in the micro but, like pretty much all things to do with construction, ultimately dependant on the macro. Now we are getting hit on every single front: peripherals produced off shore are in short supply due to the lull in manufacturing. This will most likely be an 18 month cycle before it can self correct due to the depletion of previously made stock and the way orders are placed in fulfilled. Domestic production of raw materials has been pushed to the breaking point. Steel mills are even rationing the types of steels and quantities they are pushing out to the manufacturers I buy from. 6 days a week, 3 shifts a day, and if I order anything custom it is a minimum 120 day wait. Plenty of workers, plenty of work, just tough to get materials.
The other issue is that these shortages are a self fulfilling prophecy, like TP was a year ago. Vicious cycle: Everyone wants the product, dealers order the product, suppliers say that if this continues there may be a material shortage, dealers are cash flush (because everyone wants the product) so they order more of the product lest they run out, suppliers order more product from the manufacturers, manufacturers can't keep up due to an even greater uptick and material actually does become scarce. Etc etc etc.
I'd offer a man $20 an hour to come hand me a screwdriver today, and I would have a line out the door for the job. The only issue is that the only thing I have screwed right now is my supply chain. I have plenty of work to do, but no product with which to complete it, so I have no need for another guy to do the work I could do if I had the things to actually complete the work so that I could afford to pay the guy for the work I would like for him to do but can't do because there are no things for him to put together....make sense? Me neither.
Thanks, 2020.
