COVID sick days and vacations hit U.S. business staffing levels this summer

[onthedarkside]

 

 

COVID-19 cases are on the rise with extremely transmissible Omicron BA.5 variant, and businesses — already struggling with labor shortages — are dealing with an influx of workers calling out sick.

 

By the numbers: Between June 29 and July 11, nearly 3.9 million people said they did not work because they were either sick with coronavirus symptoms or were caring for a sick loved one, according to recent Census Bureau data.

 

In comparison, almost 1.8 million people around the same time last year said they missed work for those reasons.

 

The big picture: The BA.5 variant is now the dominant strain in the U.S., is spreading and companies already affected by the pandemic labor shortage may not be able to keep up.

 

(more)

 

https://www.axios.com/2022/07/25/business-summer-covid-vacation-labor-shortage

 

 

Also:

 

https://www.newson6.com/story/62e0fe6dbb5ba50192c03ec7/businesses-struggle-as-many-workers-are-either-out-sick-with-covid19-or-on-vacation

 

"From June 29 to July 11, 3.9 million Americans said they did not work because they had COVID-19 or were caring for someone with symptoms, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey. That's more than double the 1.8 million people who didn't work for the same reasons during the same period last year."