US Employment: American employers struggle to fill open positions

World
Europe

03:08

Low unemployment in the United States may be a sign of a strong economy but it's also brought challenging times for many US employers. With the jobless rate now below 4 percent, the lowest it's been in years, companies across America are struggling to fill open positions. And that's caused some of them to turn to teenagers to get the job done. CGTN's Hendrik Sybrandy reports from the US state of Colorado.

It was Career Day at his middle school that first brought Thayer McCollum to Avionics Specialists. Later, he asked for a summer job here and got one.

THAYER MCCOLLUM AVIONICS SPECIALISTS EMPLOYEE "That first summer after my freshman year, I mowed the lawn and I cleaned the hangar one day a week."

As Thayer progressed through high school, his job responsibilities at this Loveland, Colorado company increased. Thayer McCollum: "I had skills that were needed." Today, the 17-year-old builds instrument panels for aircraft, work an adult employee would ordinarily have done in the past, but these are no ordinary times for the US economy.

JERRY STOOKSBURY AVIONICS SPECIALISTS OWNER "The 'help wanted' sign is out, that's for sure."

Owner Jerry Stooksbury says he could use a few more qualified people.

JERRY STOOKSBURY AVIONICS SPECIALISTS OWNER "Oh yeah, I mean I woke up this morning going, you know if I had one more person, because I've got a backlog schedule, man if I had more person, then I'd be able to do this."

Employers across America are facing similar dilemmas.

CINDI FUKAMI UNIV. OF DENVER DANIELS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS "You would like to expand and grow because you see growth in the economy for the first time in quite a while but you can't because you don't have the labor necessary."

HENDRIK SYBRANDY DENVER "Perhaps because of a lack of skilled labor, people dropping out of the workforce or retiring baby boomers, companies in places like Colorado where the unemployment rate is a mere 2.9 percent, are scrambling to hire."

JERRY STOOKSBURY AVIONICS SPECIALISTS OWNER "We're trying different methods, different recruitment firms, different on-site postings."

Teenagers have helped fill the labor gap. Although the owner of Saddleback Golf Club says some of them haven't quite learned how to work.

WHITEY O'MALLEY SADDLEBACK GOLF CLUB OWNER "When they start off they're going great balls of fire and towards the end of the season you'll find them hiding behind the rain shack hitting balls and getting out on the course and looking scarce."

Whitey O'Malley says a higher minimum wage has also led him to cut some positions. Still.

WHITEY O'MALLEY SADDLEBACK GOLF CLUB OWNER "I don't know anybody that's not looking for help right now. It is frustrating, extremely frustrating."

CINDI FUKAMI UNIV. OF DENVER DANIELS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS "It's kind of like fasten your seat belts and get ready cause it's going to be an interesting ride."

Cindi Fukami of the University of Denver thinks the US economy is at a critical point. She says more funding for science and tech education and job training will be key to solving the labor problem. Otherwise, she argues "We won't be competitive."

JERRY STOOKSBURY AVIONICS SPECIALISTS OWNER "If you can add more qualified people, then you'll be able to produce more."

The lack of available workers has worked to Thayer's gain.

Thayer McCollum: "I think it's a little crazy."

But soon he'll be off to college to study biomedical engineering leaving another job opening for his boss to fill. Hendrik Sybrandy, CGTN, Denver.