Labor shortages in US: Most, least impacted areas in the country

The District of Columbia is facing the greatest labor shortage across the nation, according to a recent study. 

The area has the highest ratio of unemployed individuals to job openings, with 2.37 openings per unemployed individual, according to data compiled by CareerCloud.

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By comparison, Hawaii has 0.41 job openings per unemployed individual, making it the state least impacted by the labor shortage crisis, according to the career-building website. 

Recent Labor Department data shows a growing gap between job openings and hiring, which comes as companies are having a hard time filling roles despite the more than 8 million people out of work.  

A hiring sign is displayed outside a retail store in Buffalo Grove, Ill.  (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File / AP Newsroom)

Some have blamed the unemployment benefits for preventing people from jumping back into the workforce. However, earlier this month, more than 8 million people lost all their unemployment benefits with the expiration of two federal programs that covered gig workers and people who have been jobless for more than six months. 

An additional 2.7 million people receiving regular state unemployment aid also lost a $300-a-week federal unemployment supplement.  

STAFF SHORTAGES STILL AFFECTING NEARLY 70% OF BUSINESSES WORLDWIDE

At the same time, U.S. companies have reported having strong hiring intentions, according to employment-services provider ManpowerGroup Inc. 

All 12 industry sectors in the U.S. reported having “hiring intentions at ten-year highs” with plans to bring workers back following the pandemic, according to ManpowerGroup’s Employment Outlook Survey of nearly 45,000 employers around the world. 

“This recovery is unlike any we have seen before with hiring intent picking up much faster than after the previous economic downturn,” ManpowerGroup CEO Jonas Prising said. 

Prising said the company is seeing sharp increases in hiring optimism by employers as “vaccine rollouts gain momentum and lockdown restrictions ease in many markets.” 

Here are the 10 states and territories most and least impacted by the labor shortage crisis based on job openings per unemployed person, according to CareerCloud.

Most impacted:

1. D.C.: 2.37 
2. Nebraska: 1.80
3. New Hampshire: 1.60
4. Vermont: 1.59
5. Utah: 1.45
6. South Dakota: 1.44
7. Idaho: 1.29
8. Montana: 1.21
9. North Dakota: 1.20
10. Georgia: 1.12

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Least impacted:

1. Hawaii: 0.41
2. New York: 0.45
3. California: 0.45
4. Nevada: 0.50
5. Connecticut: 0.51
6. Louisiana: 0.52
7. New Mexico: 0.53
8. Arizona: 0.56
9. New Jersey: 0.59
10. Illinois: 0.59

The Associated Press contributed to this report.