After shedding more than 500,000 jobs during the worst of the pandemic, Tennessee employers are now struggling to recruit and keep employees amid a tight labor market.
A new study by the personal finance website WalletHub ranked Tennessee among the top 10 states where employers are having the toughest time hiring and keeping workers. Adam McCann, a financial writer for WalletHub, said in a report Wednesday on the U.S. job market that a lack of workers sometimes led to delays in services and reduced business hours.
“The labor force participation rate is still below pre-pandemic levels and is at one of the lowest points in decades,” he said. “Some businesses aren’t even able to keep the employees they already have — as Americans are quitting their jobs at record rates in what’s been dubbed the ‘Great Resignation.'”
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the rate of job openings in each state. Those with the highest share of job openings last month were:
1. West Virginia — 9.1%.