Also in the NYC area. There seems to be a major shortage of blue collar labor: contractors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc. the cost of home renovations is truly staggering due to this lack of supply.
So I work in tech but am pretty well-connected to the trades within my family and friends group. The major shortage in every trade is in helpers and laborers. It’s not the case that they need people with journeyman-level technical skills, are willing to offer lucrative TC, and simply can’t hire for the skill set.
They can’t find unskilled/semiskilled labor willing show up to a job site every day for $25/hr cash. Even 10 years ago this wasn’t a problem. The issue is that nobody wants to offer market-clearing wages and benefits because it cuts into the owners’ distribution.
We're asking businesses to make additional payments to their employees' landlords. If rents were lower $25 would be a good wage to live on, but given the cost of housing, we're all paying out to landlords, even homeowners.
