What to do about a labour crunch

AS RICH COUNTRIES loosen lockdowns, an economic puzzle is emerging. Businesses are voicing ever-louder concerns about labour shortages, even as millions of people remain out of work. In America a surge of spending is creating job openings, but few people seem willing to fill them. The number of vacancies, at over 8m, has never been so high.Worker shortages are a growing problem elsewhere, too. British publicans, who opened their doors to indoor drinkers on May 17th, are searching for pint-pullers. In Australia vacancies are 40% above their pre-pandemic level. Europe has been slower to come out of its lockdown, but even there unfilled positions from Switzerland to Germany are higher than before.