EXCLUSIVE
Where have all the workers gone? And when will they return?
Short answer: Most of them won't. The past two years have upended the job market and created a vast labor shortage. It won't improve anytime soon.
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The coronavirus exacerbated Maine's labor shortage. Most of the people who have left the state's workforce since early 2020 were early retirees.
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As more people leave the state's workforce than enter it, new Mainers may play a vital role in filling the gaps.
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Automating functions isn't always aimed at reducing staff, but it helps when human workers are harder to find.
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Maine has lost more than 20,000 employees since the pandemic started. Fixing this will take a combination of strategies and years of work.
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Employers have struggled to fill positions since the pandemic upended Maine’s workforce