# The Job Market is Tight **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 5, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446 "2021-05-05T16:36:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/1 "2021-05-05T16:36:40Z")
I have been retired for a month today. I went online to find a little job. On Day Two I was hired to train as a school bus driver. It pays $16.50/hour, and they pay for the CDL training. Now I am getting about twenty automated replies to my job hunt. My in-box is all gummed up as a result. I went to get Mothers’ Day flowers. The florist asked me if I wanted to deliver for him. This morning I went to Wawa for coffee. The cashier asked if I wanted to work there. Supposedly they are offering a $500 sign-up bonus. McDonald’s is offering on-the-spot interviews. So is Lowe’s. How remarkable. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/2 "2021-05-05T16:47:48Z")
Particularly for lower-paying jobs, yes, this is an issue right now. See this current thread: > [@The Nahployment 'Crisis'](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nahployment-crisis/941117): > > Went to Popeye’s the other night, 8:15, it was Tuesday, 2-piece combo day - if you like Popeye’s, you know. Celebrating that there was only 1 car in line, I pull up only to find a sign saying they had to close because of lack of staff and their new hours are 11am-8pm until further notice. Dammit. Heart attack postponed! Settled on a Subway which had 1 person working, then swung by a Valero gas station where the woman I usually see at 8 am was still going at it 13 hours after I last saw her, one … ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/3 "2021-05-05T16:53:15Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > I went to get Mothers’ Day flowers. The flouriest asked me if I wanted to deliver for him. - You went to a bakery to order flowers? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/4 "2021-05-05T17:03:12Z")
No, Pauldi clearly specified that it was the flour_iest_ person there who made him the offer. See, there’d been a massive wedding cake bake-off in the back room with all the staff, and the now-famous “Kevin turns on the huge industrial fan by mistake again” tragedy… so all were floury, but only one could be christened the flouriest. Anyhow, the answer to the OP can be found in that [Nahployment](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nahployment-crisis/941117) thread. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/5 "2021-05-05T18:10:27Z")
I am very sorry to have bothered you all. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/6 "2021-05-05T18:24:36Z")
Merci bouquet. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/7 "2021-05-05T19:29:49Z")
**Moderator Note** Fixed typos in the OP. Let’s focus on the actual topic now, please. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/8 "2021-05-05T21:16:12Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > I went to get Mothers’ Day flowers. The florist asked me if I wanted to deliver for him. I just ordered Mother’s Day flowers and got walloped with a $25 delivery fee plus a $3.00 care fee. It’s insane. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/9 "2021-05-05T22:17:43Z")
I am supposing the title is sarcasm, considering the content of the OP. It seems that the jobs offered are ones that involve a lot of contact with strangers, so it might be that employees are refusing to come back until the environment is a bit safer. Tell me-are the people that have hired you, or the others that have offered you jobs inquired as to whether you have been vaccinated? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/10 "2021-05-05T23:27:52Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I just ordered Mother’s Day flowers and got walloped with a $25 delivery fee plus a $3.00 care fee. It’s insane. So for $3 less, you get the flowers, but really the delivery person doesn’t really put their heart into it? Or is it like a protection racket, where you have to pay $3 protection money to make sure your flowers don’t end up all busted like. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/11 "2021-05-05T23:54:52Z")
I took a low paying job just before the Covid shutdown happened. There was little out there that was interested in my skills so I ended up in Customer Service with a plan to move back into my field (training development) for that company. Except, that company was affected by Covid. They had layoff after layoff. I survived 4 of them until the parent company decided to shut down the division. At this point, I was already digging into savings to cover my bills but unemployment meant even less money. I took a temp job to help make unemployment dosh last longer. There was nothing out there in November or December that I could earn enough money at to pay the bills. But then, at the end of December, Congress came to the rescue by adding $300 to my weekly unemployment. I could pay bills. I couldn’t do more, but I was thrilled to be able to pay bills. Then, in January, job postings started increasing. I started applying. But HR folks don’t want someone who is almost retirement age because, well, because they are short-sighted and can’t see that I can no longer afford to retire. But, bless their hearts, insurance companies need contractors and contract houses are smart enough to know that us almost-seniors have a lot of knowledge that these companies need. I now have a contract job that will take me to the end of the year. And the job search cycle will start over again. Sigh of relief, but also, sigh. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/12 "2021-05-06T00:42:55Z")
Best of luck carnut! ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/13 "2021-05-06T04:35:49Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > So for $3 less, you get the flowers, but really the delivery person doesn’t really put their heart into it? Or is it like a protection racket, where you have to pay $3 protection money to make sure your flowers don’t end up all busted like. Which is funny because I’ve had a rash of beyond rude delivery people lately. Had a door dash driver almost get into a fight with the doorman at my apartment building, you’re not allowed to just drop the food and run now. You’re supposed to either deliver it to the resident’s door or else meet them to exchange it in the lobby ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-job-market-is-tight/941446/14 "2021-05-06T22:40:27Z")
Thanks. It’s a huge relief to just get a few months further down the line.