# Has A Government Ever Taken Drastic Measures To Address A Labor Shortage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2022, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-government-ever-taken-drastic-measures-to-address-a-labor-shortage/963261 "2022-04-22T15:33:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 26
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2022, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-government-ever-taken-drastic-measures-to-address-a-labor-shortage/963261/26 "2022-04-24T09:33:11Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > In grocery stores, self-scanning replaces cashiers - one attendant can monitor a dozen stations, and does not spend their day mind-numbingly doing something people can do for themselves. Ha ha ha ha ha. No. Self-serve attendant is one of the jobs I do at work. The ratio is 1 attendant to 6 stations, not “dozens”. Unless you _want_ rampant theft through the self-serve (which, presumably, Wal-Mart tolerates given they are entirely self-serve right now, unlike my place of employment). And you’d be surprised how many people are NOT capable of checking themselves out. And people STILL try to use cash at the machines clearly labeled and set aside as “card only”. In theory you’re correct but in practice it’s a mess. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-government-ever-taken-drastic-measures-to-address-a-labor-shortage/963261)._