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Wolfgang Puck can’t find waiters because of labor shortage


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1 hour ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Good for them. We recently implemented an alternating 4-day work week to help folks find more work-life balance. Productivity has gone up, employee satisfaction is up as well. Hopefully it translates into higher retention.

That’s so badass. At least among my early to mid 30s cohort, work-life balance is near the top in terms of importance. More flex, more remote, 9/80s, etc. 

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nobody does anything on Fridays anyways.  I cited google's 20% innovation time in my previous org and declared Friday innovation day for my team. work on projects, catch up on shit you needed to do, or not, etc. We had our normal AM standup but otherwise, no meetings, free day, do what you want. It caused no problems at all, and people tended to use it for all of those purposes as well as getting the weekend going early

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7 minutes ago, Lobo said:

The next person I meet in Austin who works on Friday’s after lunch, will be the first.  

Really? I've worked with lawyers for 30 years and they don't do shit until after 3:00 on Fridays. Biggest bunch of procrastinators ever.

 

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1 minute ago, Deej said:

Really? I've worked with lawyers for 30 years and they don't do shit until after 3:00 on Fridays. Biggest bunch of procrastinators ever.

 

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6 hours ago, DonkeyCigars said:

Just catching up here, but what has you so convinced? Because from what I've seen and what I feel, I'm entirely unconvinced. I'm interested in hearing you tease out your conviction.

 

6 hours ago, DonkeyCigars said:

I'm not very smart so bear with me here-- am I understanding you that you are saying we should create a job role or requisition or a policy or entitlement (call it whatever), to...pay people to combat the pandemic? Pay people to wear masks, get vax, stay home, etc.?

If so, I'm shocked and a little curious, but also think this is rewarding bad behavior so ultimately should be dismissed.

Why do you always post like you’re some friendly talking cartoon woodchuck in a disney movie who is just fascinated to hear what the real humans have to say about something?

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Oh I missed donkey’s first quote of my post. I remain convinced that a large chunk of it is people leaving jobs that they are no longer willing to do in this environment because there’s tons of anecdotal evidence that this is the case in at least the restaurant industry. Follow r/kitchenconfidential or r/talesfromyourserver on Reddit to see the theme.  I don’t think that that is actual empirical evidence for this story or that what is happening with food service workers is the complete sort of unemployment during the pandemic, but it is an industry that employs a ton of people, there are other similar customer service based industries that are likely similar, and there are other areas like nursing and teaching that are a complete beating due to the continued nightmare timeline we seem hell bent on remaining in. I’m sure childcare is another big part of what is going on. I’m certain that unemployment benefits have had an impact, but I don’t believe that is the big driver. I don’t see that in my broke dick timeline and we are also missing empirical evidence that that is the big thing or one of the big things.

I remain convinced that railing against welfare queens is a coping mechanism for the miserable based on years of observation.

 

” But they’d be willing to do the job if they were desperate and maybe they aren’t desperate because they’ve been getting the beaucoup covid bucks “

Maybe a little, but I don’t like that as an argument that we should try to increase the misery index during this crisis. I’m sure that the extra cushion early on helped people take time to not make an employment choice out of desperation. I honestly don’t know how much a low wage former worker is taking in benefits if they’ve been sitting around doing nothing this entire time, I could be wrong about the impact. But even with that, I don’t think that people are just giving up on ever working and that is something that is a problem we need to focus on. Diving in farther than that on why probably requires a different forum.

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51 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

Oh I missed donkey’s first quote of my post. I remain convinced that a large chunk of it is people leaving jobs that they are no longer willing to do in this environment because there’s tons of anecdotal evidence that this is the case in at least the restaurant industry. Follow r/kitchenconfidential or r/talesfromyourserver on Reddit to see the theme.  I don’t think that that is actual empirical evidence for this story or that what is happening with food service workers is the complete sort of unemployment during the pandemic, but it is an industry that employs a ton of people, there are other similar customer service based industries that are likely similar, and there are other areas like nursing and teaching that are a complete beating due to the continued nightmare timeline we seem hell bent on remaining in. I’m sure childcare is another big part of what is going on. I’m certain that unemployment benefits have had an impact, but I don’t believe that is the big driver. I don’t see that in my broke dick timeline and we are also missing empirical evidence that that is the big thing or one of the big things.

I remain convinced that railing against welfare queens is a coping mechanism for the miserable based on years of observation.

 

” But they’d be willing to do the job if they were desperate and maybe they aren’t desperate because they’ve been getting the beaucoup covid bucks “

Maybe a little, but I don’t like that as an argument that we should try to increase the misery index during this crisis. I’m sure that the extra cushion early on helped people take time to not make an employment choice out of desperation. I honestly don’t know how much a low wage former worker is taking in benefits if they’ve been sitting around doing nothing this entire time, I could be wrong about the impact. But even with that, I don’t think that people are just giving up on ever working and that is something that is a problem we need to focus on. Diving in farther than that on why probably requires a different forum.

It sounds like your mind is already made up. Afterall, no one in the last few pages has talked about welfare queens and no one has blamed the workers. And further that it is cruel to deny support to people in need during these trying times. What it seems like you are saying is that if employers pay more then this issue is moot. How much more? Because right now I don't have a salary range in open positions and we are getting very few applicants. So, it seems to me like people don't want to work in healthcare right now. I am not an expert in societal issues but not having enough healthcare workers might be a problem. How would you fix it? Nextdoor is complaining about long lines at HEB and about restaurants closing early and taking forever for their orders. I'm having problems finding workers in healthcare. I've heard lots of stories about other industries as well. So, it is quite possible that all the jobs being lost in these industries are going into customer service positions which can be done from home. But from an outside perspective, it sure looks like a bunch of people just dropped out of the workforce.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
In the year since the pandemic upended the economy, more than four million people have quit the labor force, leaving a gaping hole in the job market that cuts across age and circumstances. An exceptionally high number have been sidelined because of child care and other family responsibilities or health concerns.
 
 
 
 
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1 hour ago, Celery Man said:

Oh I missed donkey’s first quote of my post. I remain convinced that a large chunk of it is people leaving jobs that they are no longer willing to do in this environment because there’s tons of anecdotal evidence that this is the case in at least the restaurant industry. Follow r/kitchenconfidential or r/talesfromyourserver on Reddit to see the theme.  I don’t think that that is actual empirical evidence for this story or that what is happening with food service workers is the complete sort of unemployment during the pandemic, but it is an industry that employs a ton of people, there are other similar customer service based industries that are likely similar, and there are other areas like nursing and teaching that are a complete beating due to the continued nightmare timeline we seem hell bent on remaining in. I’m sure childcare is another big part of what is going on. I’m certain that unemployment benefits have had an impact, but I don’t believe that is the big driver. I don’t see that in my broke dick timeline and we are also missing empirical evidence that that is the big thing or one of the big things.

I remain convinced that railing against welfare queens is a coping mechanism for the miserable based on years of observation.

 

” But they’d be willing to do the job if they were desperate and maybe they aren’t desperate because they’ve been getting the beaucoup covid bucks “

Maybe a little, but I don’t like that as an argument that we should try to increase the misery index during this crisis. I’m sure that the extra cushion early on helped people take time to not make an employment choice out of desperation. I honestly don’t know how much a low wage former worker is taking in benefits if they’ve been sitting around doing nothing this entire time, I could be wrong about the impact. But even with that, I don’t think that people are just giving up on ever working and that is something that is a problem we need to focus on. Diving in farther than that on why probably requires a different forum.

Gotcha, makes more sense, thanks for clarifying. Either I was having a tough time with reading comprehension today or...well, I'm probably just tired. :)

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2 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

dumb and dumber GIF

there’s a pandemic on that has killed almost 700,000 Americans. the way it gets fixed is we get COVID-19 under control. it doesn’t get fixed until that happens.

Hot take alert: COVID-19 is going to have to run it's course. There is no getting it under control and if you haven't resigned yourself to that fact after all the evidence presented the past 20 months or whatever, then I think you might be being a bit obstinate. 

It's either going to run it's course and burn out over time or it's going to hang around like Marcy playground.

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5 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

Hot take alert: COVID-19 is going to have to run it's course. There is no getting it under control and if you haven't resigned yourself to that fact after all the evidence presented the past 20 months or whatever, then I think you might be being a bit obstinate. 

It's either going to run it's course and burn out over time or it's going to hang around like Marcy playground.

I’m certain that I am obstinate.  I don’t know what the most optimistic version of “control it” looks like at this point - we’re obviously not going to annihilate the virus. Either way, at some point people will be less insane than they currently are and there will be some form of normal that will exist. Things are going to remain fucked up until that happens. If healthcare collapses we’re going to see some grim shit even for this timeline, but I guess we’re already beginning to see that. Only thing we can do at this point is take personal responsibility and be decent.

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7 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

I’m certain that I am obstinate.  I don’t know what the most optimistic version of “control it” looks like at this point - we’re obviously not going to annihilate the virus. Either way, at some point people will be less insane than they currently are and there will be some form of normal that will exist. Things are going to remain fucked up until that happens. If healthcare collapses we’re going to see some grim shit even for this timeline, but I guess we’re already beginning to see that. Only thing we can do at this point is take personal responsibility and be decent.

It's the only thing we could ever control, and do; and it wasn't done then, it's not done now, and it's not going to be done in the future.

And I think there must have been some measure of time as a great white washer, for us to fondly recall cloying stories and times where we took personal responsibility and were decent, as a people--as a race of people. I think we've always existed and gotten past bottleneck extinction events in spite of our indecency. And we will get over Covid-19, those of us who survive and our progeny, in spite of our general indecency. Or we won't and it will live with us forever or kill us.

But hey, whatever works for you. Hope springs eternal.

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47 minutes ago, Bevo said:

In the year since the pandemic upended the economy, more than four million people have quit the labor force, leaving a gaping hole in the job market that cuts across age and circumstances. An exceptionally high number have been sidelined because of child care and other family responsibilities or health concerns.

It sure would seem like in a free market in which supply and demand is what governs prices, that labor prices should he going up and not remaining stagnant. 

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9 hours ago, Captainant said:

It sure would seem like in a free market in which supply and demand is what governs prices, that labor prices should he going up and not remaining stagnant. 

They have gone up and they will continue to go up and we will then pass those increased costs on to the consumer. That is called inflation and the salary increases will mean jack shit because their cost of housing, gas, and food will have increased. Unfortunately, that is how markets work. Growing the economy is the only real solution that means anything to the poor and middle class in the US.

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6 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Growing the economy is the only real solution that means anything to the poor and middle class in the US.

Considering that the poor and middle class has seen marginal wage increases during the last three decades of meteoric economic growth and production increass... Not sure if I agree with your math there, Lou. Trickle down has been a lie and will continue to be a lie. 

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1 hour ago, Captainant said:

Considering that the poor and middle class has seen marginal wage increases during the last three decades of meteoric economic growth and production increass... Not sure if I agree with your math there, Lou. Trickle down has been a lie and will continue to be a lie. 

Maybe not so much with poor, but middle class and upper middle class have absolutely seen an increase in net worth even during the pandemic. Namely because of stock market gains and home equity growth.

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14 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

Maybe not so much with poor, but middle class and upper middle class have absolutely seen an increase in net worth even during the pandemic. Namely because of stock market gains and home equity growth.

I'm not saying that there's been zero wage/wealth growth - I (and the St. Louis branch of the Fed) am arguing that the increase in American GDP and net worth hasn't trickled down for the middle class American.

image.png.ff660783db4d9a342afc6f8874787d18.png

But also your boomer is showing - most Americans today cannot buy homes, and do not hold a meaningful amount of stocks. Perhaps small and shrinking upper middle class is the exception here, but it's been an incredibly stagnant earning market if you don't control a significant amount of capital already. 

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6 minutes ago, Captainant said:

 I (and the St. Louis branch of the Fed) am arguing that the increase in net worth for the middle class American hasn't trickled down.

image.png.ff660783db4d9a342afc6f8874787d18.png

But also your boomer is showing - most Americans today cannot buy homes, and do not hold a meaningful amount of stocks. Perhaps small and shrinking upper middle class is the exception here, but it's been an incredibly stagnant earning market if you don't control a significant amount of capital already. 

But what are you trying to say? Wage growth hasn't grown as fast or on par as per capita GDP? Do you think maybe because, like with the net worth growth (DURING COVID-19!!) of the middle and upper middle class (note: I didn't say poor or lower middle class who can't afford a $200k starter home), those two factors (median wages and GDP growth) are not as tightly coupled as they used to be?

The net worth of US households rose to a record $141.7 trillion in the second quarter, up 19.6% from a year ago, the Fed reported yesterday. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/23/household-net-worth-rises-above-141-trillion-but-debt-up-sharply-as-well.html

 

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18 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

Maybe not so much with poor, but middle class and upper middle class have absolutely seen an increase in net worth even during the pandemic. Namely because of stock market gains and home equity growth.

 

4 minutes ago, Captainant said:

I'm not saying that there's been zero wage/wealth growth - I (and the St. Louis branch of the Fed) am arguing that the increase in net worth for the middle class American hasn't trickled down.

image.png.ff660783db4d9a342afc6f8874787d18.png

But also your boomer is showing - most Americans today cannot buy homes, and do not hold a meaningful amount of stocks. Perhaps small and shrinking upper middle class is the exception here, but it's been an incredibly stagnant earning market if you don't control a significant amount of capital already. 

I think a thing that's being hit on here, which is back to the ostensible point of this thread, is the difference in the pandemic experience for the "middle" class and the folks who used to fill the food service and low wage jobs. Real estate booming is bad fucking news for poor folks, and the stock market performance is irrelevant. 100k annual household is top 30% in America.

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16 minutes ago, Captainant said:

But also your boomer is showing - most Americans today cannot buy homes, and do not hold a meaningful amount of stocks. Perhaps small and shrinking upper middle class is the exception here, but it's been an incredibly stagnant earning market if you don't control a significant amount of capital already. 

Also, you just said the quiet part out loud. Some people don't want the upper middle class to exist. Not because we are aesthetically displeasing and gross, because we are with all our cheap, gaudy accoutrements and boring styles, but because it's better to drag the upper middle class into the bigger population pool of poor/working class in order to broaden consensus and get stronger voting blocs to wield power against the vampire billionaires and other evil rich people who enjoy outsize influence and control. The upper middle class is a necessary death, it seems, to you people.

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1 hour ago, Captainant said:

Considering that the poor and middle class has seen marginal wage increases during the last three decades of meteoric economic growth and production increass... Not sure if I agree with your math there, Lou. Trickle down has been a lie and will continue to be a lie. 

 

47 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Lol.

That is basic economics. It isn't supply side theory. If salaries of the poor rise, costs for the business rise. Companies have the choice to absorb the cost through increasing efficiency or having worse profitability or raising prices and passing along the prices to consumers. When prices are passed along, it means higher prices for goods. This means expenses for everyone goes up. However, the price increases disproportionately affect the poor and middle class. So it turns out that the increased wages didn't help them live better lives. Not saying I am for or against raising wages for everyone - All I am saying is that for the people that you are trying to help, it doesn't do a whole lot.

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6 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

 

I think a thing that's being hit on here, which is back to the ostensible point of this thread, is the difference in the pandemic experience for the "middle" class and the folks who used to fill the food service and low wage jobs. Real estate booming is bad fucking news for poor folks, and the stock market performance is irrelevant. 100k annual household is top 30% in America.

Sure, I guess I didn't understand how captain's "trickle down" comments were applicable and wanted to pressure test if he had a real point or just an opening to pontificate his personal points (of which I also, opined, to be fair).

Edit to add: Bevo on the post above mine just nailed what I was trying to argue.

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probably a separate thread entirely but jesus fucking christ, even as a "future upper middle class person" it is a beating being youngish in Austin. I can imagine being devastated at the jump in Austin real estate if I had been saving up for a starter home as an Austin professional approaching my 30s.

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4 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

Also, you just said the quiet part out loud. Democrats don't want the upper middle class to exist. Not because we are aesthetically displeasing and gross, because we are with all our cheap, gaudy accoutrements and boring styles, but because it's better to drag the upper middle class into the bigger population pool of poor/working class in order to broaden consensus and get stronger voting blocs to wield power against the vampire billionaires and other evil rich people who enjoy outsize influence and control. The upper middle class is a necessary death, it seems, to you people.

 

12 hours ago, DonkeyCigars said:

You have the weirdest fantasies. 

😐

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4 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

probably a separate thread entirely but jesus fucking christ, even as a "future upper middle class person" it is a beating being youngish in Austin. I can imagine being devastated at the jump in Austin real estate if I had been saving up for a starter home as an Austin professional approaching my 30s.

Timing and luck are underrated elements that are almost entirely outside of our control in life. So much so that it's irrational to rail against (and certainly irrational to take pride in, for you didn't do anything yourself). The royal you.

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6 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

Sure, I guess I didn't understand how captain's "trickle down" comments were applicable and wanted to pressure test if he had a real point or just an opening to pontificate his personal points (of which I also, opined, to be fair).

Edit to add: Bevo on the post above mine just nailed what I was trying to argue.

my comment is somewhat tangential to what you and captain are discussing. If there's a point that's related, it's that you brought up how the upper middle class has done during the pandemic and I'm saying that that experience is very different than the group of people being discussed when we talk about not being to fill low wage jobs (with the probably fairly common exception of households with a primary wage earner).

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4 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

Also, you just said the quiet part out loud. Democrats don't want the upper middle class to exist. Not because we are aesthetically displeasing and gross, because we are with all our cheap, gaudy accoutrements and boring styles, but because it's better to drag the upper middle class into the bigger population pool of poor/working class in order to broaden consensus and get stronger voting blocs to wield power against the vampire billionaires and other evil rich people who enjoy outsize influence and control. The upper middle class is a necessary death, it seems, to you people.

woah there Mr. CR outside of CR! I didn't realize your jimmies would get so rustled to the point of putting words in my mouth and playing victim, all just from looking at data from the Fed. In this chart, the earliest data they have is 1898, where the starting values for wealth by %ile was: 

  • top 1%:          23
  • 90-99%:        37.4
  • 50-99%:        35.5
  • Bottom 50%: 3.7

image.png.602a07348c95b60952ef5d32a0e2268b.png

With GPD increasing so dramatically over the same time period, you'd expect the distributions to stay the same, or perhaps even grow for the lower percentiles. But they dont, and in fact, even concentrate further upwards. This is just emperical data study.

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6 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

Timing and luck are underrated elements that are almost entirely outside of our control in life. So much so that it's irrational to rail against (and certainly irrational to take pride in, for you didn't do anything yourself). The royal you.

Sure, and I thank my stars every day that I'm a lucky one. Maybe "mid to high earning young people can't save quicker than real estate prices keep them out of the market" is a frustrating economic reality the same as "my business doesn't function well if people won't do the work for the amount I can pay them".

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20 hours ago, Don Johnson said:

Not that $32k is great, but so strange to me that someone would and/or can choose to make $0 instead.

As explained above, if you factor in the cost of child care, you might get very little benefit for the option to have someone else look after your kids.   If your child care is 2k/month, you net about $5k/year.   In other words, would you be willing to let someone else have your two kids for 8-10 hours/day so you could make $5k/year.   

 

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18 hours ago, Bevo said:

I gave my source list to derka so he could create a reference page. You can dm him for the details.

You said that you had researched it from various political lenses and from unbiased sources.  Just cite a few.   Or was that bullshit too?

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37 minutes ago, Nivek said:

You said that you had researched it from various political lenses and from unbiased sources.  Just cite a few.   Or was that bullshit too?

I guess it is pretty easy to do during work, so I don't mind that you are being an ass. Hopefully, you are appreciative. I have a few for nurses and nursing assistants that are similar. Here's one for dental that isn't subscription:

Dental staffing shortages are more than a pain in the mouth

With hundreds of open hygienist and assistant positions statewide, local dentists are short-handed.

  •  

EVERETT — Inside mouths, dentists say, it’s an ugly scene these days as wary patients return. Cracked teeth, cavities and gum disease after months of pandemic stress, shoddy hygiene and poor diets. The bad brushing isn’t the only problem.

At the same time, staffing shortages are leaving dentists overwhelmed and undermanned.

At All Smiles Northwest on Colby Avenue, owner and dentist Michelle Steinhubel said she lost two employees from causes related to the pandemic. Since then, she’s juggled staffing, but it often means long days, short lunches and patients waiting for open appointments.

The jobs aren’t easy to fill. Hygienists and assistants are highly skilled positions. A hygienist needs a bachelor’s degree and years of training in a clinical setting. Dental assisting has fewer academic qualifications but still requires licenses and education that takes months.

Candidates can’t be hired off the street, Steinhubel said.

“It seems like an ever-decreasing pool of applicants that actually apply for the job,” she said.

 

Dentist Amy Norman said trying to fill an assistant opening at her Everett office has felt like six months of fishing in a lake with no fish.

Last June, Norman detailed the meticulous safety measures implemented at the clinic to continue seeing patients. Ten months later, she said, staffing shortages are the new crisis.

“We are getting spread really thin, there is a lot of fatigue,” Norman said.

Already down one position, Norman said she schedules selectively and pays the travel costs of an assistant who commutes from Spokane to work three days at a time.

“A lot of the things we do in a dental office require four hands, so if I don’t have those extra two hands, I’m not able to do it by myself,” she said.

A survey released in February by the state’s dental hygienist and dental association outlined the significant demand. More than 900 open hygienist positions were reported statewide with only about 220 hygienists actively seeking employment. Dental assisting had more than 1,100 openings and fewer than 200 qualified folks in search of a job.

Bracken Killpack, executive director of the Washington State Dental Association, said local clinics are at the epicenter of the shortage.

“It is an issue we are seeing across the board, but it is particularly pronounced in Snohomish and King counties,” Killpack said.

On average, hygienist jobs are open for more than four months before being filled, and assistant positions are open for about three and a half months.

Shannon Cole knows the need well. As the co-founder and staffing director of Dental Temps Staffing Solutions in Arlington, Cole assists more than 450 dental offices in the Puget Sound area and beyond to find stand-in professionals.

Despite having more than 300 qualified temporary employees to deploy, Cole said, there are over 150 open positions she still can’t cover.

“We can’t fulfill more than half of our orders,” she said. “If we filled all our orders it would bring in $5 million a year.”

Cole said 1,600 temps have not returned to work following pandemic closures citing safety concerns, kids to educate at home, taking another job or reaping unemployment benefits.

Dental Temps Staffing Solutions began a marketing campaign and offered incentives, signing bonuses and hazard pay to attract hygienists and assistants — to no avail. Cole said the staffing agency has about 90 open hygienist positions and 40 or so assistant jobs.

In downtown Everett, Cynthia Curtis owns and instructs at the Northshore Dental Assisting Academy. For almost two decades, the school has instructed fledgling aides in a four-month program preparing them for work.

Curtis said she is in constant communication with dentists trying to find jobs for students. Of late, she’s hearing of low wages or poor benefits keeping assistants away from the field.

“We saw a lot of people bail and they used COVID as their out,” Curtis said. “I think they forgot that they had been working in someone’s mouth for 18 or 20 years.”

In a rigorous line of work, Curtis said, assistants want to be paid what they are worth, or they opt for a less challenging profession. More than half the former students Curtis hears from after interviews report an issue with the compensation they are offered, she said.

Earlier this month, about a dozen students rehearsed molds, impressions, X-rays and more at the academy.

Brecca Yates, an instructor with the school, maneuvered between manikin heads reclined in dentist chairs, offering advice and support. When class isn’t in session, Yates is a dental assistant in a Mukilteo office where, she said, short-staffing means missed breaks and running around a lot more.

“We are definitely getting put a little bit behind,” she said. “We are having to know how to be quicker on our feet and think faster and be more on top of things.”

Patient care remains the priority, Yates said, including fitting patients in on days when appointments are all booked up. Even on the longest days, Yates said, she feels taken care of at the office.

Fellow instructor Kaitlyn Doohan said she switched dental assisting jobs at the beginning of the pandemic to find a more accommodating office. As a newer assistant, she desired training and proper attention that can be difficult to find.

“I think it has been challenging for students to find that home,” Doohan said. “There is a bigger expectation out of assistants and more responsibility that comes with that.”

Dental assisting student Perla Galvan, 22, said she’s heard of staffing shortages and poor pay impacting the profession, but she wasn’t swayed away from the field. COVID-19 was a concern, but her will to learn was greater.

“The pandemic will get in control, but my career’s not going to stop,” she said.

In May, Galvan will complete her coursework and enter the field. She wants an employer who values the work she does and is willing to pay accordingly.

At the practice Steinhubel has owned since 2005, she said, some young applicants are expecting pay typical of a 15- or 20-year veteran of the field. It creates a challenge for dentists who are still recovering from last year’s closure.

“You sometimes have to let really qualified applicants go, because you literally can’t afford them,” she said.

Norman also said she is paying some positions much more than she was five years ago or offering signing bonuses.

Rising wages are an issue across the industry, Killpack said.

“With a very scarce supply (of job candidates), one of the only options employers have to get someone is to increase salary,” he said. “It becomes unsustainable to pay the salaries that the market is commanding right now.”

The extra cost could be passed on to patients.

Dentists also warn of longer wait times for routine check-ups and challenges freeing time for emergency work as staffing shortages continue to limit the patients that can be seen.

“We don’t want to compromise the care we give patients,” Steinhubel said.

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6 minutes ago, Bevo said:

I guess it is pretty easy to do during work, so I don't mind that you are being an ass. Hopefully, you are appreciative. I have a few for nurses and nursing assistants that are similar. Here's one for dental that isn't subscription:

Dental staffing shortages are more than a pain in the mouth

With hundreds of open hygienist and assistant positions statewide, local dentists are short-handed.

  •  

EVERETT — Inside mouths, dentists say, it’s an ugly scene these days as wary patients return. Cracked teeth, cavities and gum disease after months of pandemic stress, shoddy hygiene and poor diets. The bad brushing isn’t the only problem.

At the same time, staffing shortages are leaving dentists overwhelmed and undermanned.

At All Smiles Northwest on Colby Avenue, owner and dentist Michelle Steinhubel said she lost two employees from causes related to the pandemic. Since then, she’s juggled staffing, but it often means long days, short lunches and patients waiting for open appointments.

The jobs aren’t easy to fill. Hygienists and assistants are highly skilled positions. A hygienist needs a bachelor’s degree and years of training in a clinical setting. Dental assisting has fewer academic qualifications but still requires licenses and education that takes months.

Candidates can’t be hired off the street, Steinhubel said.

“It seems like an ever-decreasing pool of applicants that actually apply for the job,” she said.

 

Dentist Amy Norman said trying to fill an assistant opening at her Everett office has felt like six months of fishing in a lake with no fish.

Last June, Norman detailed the meticulous safety measures implemented at the clinic to continue seeing patients. Ten months later, she said, staffing shortages are the new crisis.

“We are getting spread really thin, there is a lot of fatigue,” Norman said.

Already down one position, Norman said she schedules selectively and pays the travel costs of an assistant who commutes from Spokane to work three days at a time.

“A lot of the things we do in a dental office require four hands, so if I don’t have those extra two hands, I’m not able to do it by myself,” she said.

A survey released in February by the state’s dental hygienist and dental association outlined the significant demand. More than 900 open hygienist positions were reported statewide with only about 220 hygienists actively seeking employment. Dental assisting had more than 1,100 openings and fewer than 200 qualified folks in search of a job.

Bracken Killpack, executive director of the Washington State Dental Association, said local clinics are at the epicenter of the shortage.

“It is an issue we are seeing across the board, but it is particularly pronounced in Snohomish and King counties,” Killpack said.

On average, hygienist jobs are open for more than four months before being filled, and assistant positions are open for about three and a half months.

Shannon Cole knows the need well. As the co-founder and staffing director of Dental Temps Staffing Solutions in Arlington, Cole assists more than 450 dental offices in the Puget Sound area and beyond to find stand-in professionals.

Despite having more than 300 qualified temporary employees to deploy, Cole said, there are over 150 open positions she still can’t cover.

“We can’t fulfill more than half of our orders,” she said. “If we filled all our orders it would bring in $5 million a year.”

Cole said 1,600 temps have not returned to work following pandemic closures citing safety concerns, kids to educate at home, taking another job or reaping unemployment benefits.

Dental Temps Staffing Solutions began a marketing campaign and offered incentives, signing bonuses and hazard pay to attract hygienists and assistants — to no avail. Cole said the staffing agency has about 90 open hygienist positions and 40 or so assistant jobs.

In downtown Everett, Cynthia Curtis owns and instructs at the Northshore Dental Assisting Academy. For almost two decades, the school has instructed fledgling aides in a four-month program preparing them for work.

Curtis said she is in constant communication with dentists trying to find jobs for students. Of late, she’s hearing of low wages or poor benefits keeping assistants away from the field.

“We saw a lot of people bail and they used COVID as their out,” Curtis said. “I think they forgot that they had been working in someone’s mouth for 18 or 20 years.”

In a rigorous line of work, Curtis said, assistants want to be paid what they are worth, or they opt for a less challenging profession. More than half the former students Curtis hears from after interviews report an issue with the compensation they are offered, she said.

Earlier this month, about a dozen students rehearsed molds, impressions, X-rays and more at the academy.

Brecca Yates, an instructor with the school, maneuvered between manikin heads reclined in dentist chairs, offering advice and support. When class isn’t in session, Yates is a dental assistant in a Mukilteo office where, she said, short-staffing means missed breaks and running around a lot more.

“We are definitely getting put a little bit behind,” she said. “We are having to know how to be quicker on our feet and think faster and be more on top of things.”

Patient care remains the priority, Yates said, including fitting patients in on days when appointments are all booked up. Even on the longest days, Yates said, she feels taken care of at the office.

Fellow instructor Kaitlyn Doohan said she switched dental assisting jobs at the beginning of the pandemic to find a more accommodating office. As a newer assistant, she desired training and proper attention that can be difficult to find.

“I think it has been challenging for students to find that home,” Doohan said. “There is a bigger expectation out of assistants and more responsibility that comes with that.”

Dental assisting student Perla Galvan, 22, said she’s heard of staffing shortages and poor pay impacting the profession, but she wasn’t swayed away from the field. COVID-19 was a concern, but her will to learn was greater.

“The pandemic will get in control, but my career’s not going to stop,” she said.

In May, Galvan will complete her coursework and enter the field. She wants an employer who values the work she does and is willing to pay accordingly.

At the practice Steinhubel has owned since 2005, she said, some young applicants are expecting pay typical of a 15- or 20-year veteran of the field. It creates a challenge for dentists who are still recovering from last year’s closure.

“You sometimes have to let really qualified applicants go, because you literally can’t afford them,” she said.

Norman also said she is paying some positions much more than she was five years ago or offering signing bonuses.

Rising wages are an issue across the industry, Killpack said.

“With a very scarce supply (of job candidates), one of the only options employers have to get someone is to increase salary,” he said. “It becomes unsustainable to pay the salaries that the market is commanding right now.”

The extra cost could be passed on to patients.

Dentists also warn of longer wait times for routine check-ups and challenges freeing time for emergency work as staffing shortages continue to limit the patients that can be seen.

“We don’t want to compromise the care we give patients,” Steinhubel said.

is it story time? come on everybody, gather around in a circle!

 

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3 hours ago, Captainant said:

woah there Mr. CR outside of CR! I didn't realize your jimmies would get so rustled to the point of putting words in my mouth and playing victim, all just from looking at data from the Fed. In this chart, the earliest data they have is 1898, where the starting values for wealth by %ile was: 

  • top 1%:          23
  • 90-99%:        37.4
  • 50-99%:        35.5
  • Bottom 50%: 3.7

image.png.602a07348c95b60952ef5d32a0e2268b.png

With GPD increasing so dramatically over the same time period, you'd expect the distributions to stay the same, or perhaps even grow for the lower percentiles. But they dont, and in fact, even concentrate further upwards. This is just emperical data study.

Sorry for the brain fart, forgot where I was, and by the time I edited you had already seen and quoted.

I think your thesis is mostly wrong, which bodes ill for the realities of our GDP growth. I stated this above when I said, GDP and wage growth are not tightly coupled as they have been in the past.

This means that that GDP is not growing in more fundamental or classical ways, to which you have alluded, but rather by flywheel (e.g. housing equity and stock market). This growth is not solid and stable, in other words, but flimsy.

The real argument people like you should make, from where I stand, then is:

  • GDP growth is bubbly/inflated
  • "Real" GDP growth is better and safer for us all
  • Historically real GDP growth is tightly coupled with wage growth
  • If we pump up wage growth, we will see better GDP growth

The problems there are mainly what Bevo said above about how that's much easier said than done, but also getting people (Americans? Shareholders/Investors? Government?) to buy-in that we are inflated and that the growth is a mirage.

 

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On 9/23/2021 at 3:44 PM, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

my first job out of college i was making $24k/yr. i sat at a desk all day watching the most fucked up videos i could find on ebaum's world. right up until my computer got a virus and shat the bed. the IT guy comes to my office and does a few things and ends up opening a window with basically the cookie data from my browser. he starts reading through it and just freezes, collects himself, and then prints off dozens of pages worth of cookies...it read like this:

One Armed Girl Uses Construction Cone to Anal Fist

Two Women Insert Louisville Slugger in Their Ass

and on and on and on.

markcuban.gif.4e8578c8a182dbfbfa9efe3577ad346b.gif

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