Why Is There Such a Lack of Good Employees in Billings? [Opinion]

I've had about four different conversations in the last week about how hard it is to find good employees. I think I would reword that to say, dedicated or capable employees. If it were just one industry that was short-staffed, I might believe that it was just the hourly wage that was the issue, but the conversations I've had with businesses offer above minimum wage by a few bucks or significantly above minimum wage plus incentives and pay if you travel X amount of miles away from the company base.

I was talking to my brother the other day and the company he works for is hiring. They are looking for several CDL drivers as well as general laborers. I get that not everyone has a CDL, but as far as the general laborers, the wage starts at roughly $23 an hour, and that is with no experience, just a willingness to work. My daughter works in the foodservice industry and she said they have the same problem. In a perfect world, they need to hire about 30 more employees to make their restaurant run smoothly. They hire and train and then the employee either quits within weeks or just doesn't bother to show up for their scheduled shift.

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Now, maybe it's an age thing, but nothing makes me more ticked off than when people just don't show up. Let's be honest, are we really surprised that many would rather draw unemployment and get an extra $1,200 plus a month for not working? The shortage of employees isn't because there aren't any jobs, it's because the government has made it easier to take from them than to put in a little sweat equity and draw an honest wage.

I personally would go insane if I wasn't working. I've always worked and wanted to work, not just for the income, but for the self-worth and social interaction. Why do you think it's so hard for employers to find dedicated hard-working employees?