Wages have to go up. More workers will move to the area to fill the need.
Does anyone take economics anymore?
lol-- see my post #22.
By the way, Carl Perkins was THE MAN!
"-- and the folks applying for jobs seem to have unrealistic expectations about pay and hours."
Look at what taxes, rent, insurance, gas, utilities do to a pay check and the amount people need to survive is pretty high.
In my experience something is holding wages down. When I went into business for myself because NO ONE could get within 8 dollars per hour of the hourly wage I needed to live I was shocked at how many shops I gave my pricelist to asked me to go to work for them but balked when they heard my wage needs. And that per hour price I needed wasn't going to get me any big savings account over time. It was what Ineeded to pay all I had to pay to live.
I went into business for myself because I realized one day that when my well maintained, good running 5 year old car finally needed to br replaced it would break the bank. Plain and simple I couldn't see how I'd do it, so I started my on business. I am makeing more money now than I hever have.