[20211005]IN11771_劳动力市场紧缩与经济复苏第2部分.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Labor Market Tightness and the Economic Recovery, Part 2 October 5, 2021 Recently, many businesses have reportedly complained of labor market “tightness”workforce shortages and difficulties in hiring to reduce them. This is surprising to many economists because employment is still low. If long-lasting, these shortages could hold back the economic recovery and potentially contribute to inflationary pressures. This Insight, which concludes a previous CRS Insight (Part 1) that analyzes evidence of potential labor market tightenness, discusses potential causes and the policy implications of those findings. Potential Causes Labor market tightness is likely being caused by a number of factors. As discussed in Part 1, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused many people to initially leave the labor force, and for some, their reasons for leaving remain. Census Bureau data reveal that 3% of adults who were not working in early September 2021 did so because they were “concerned about getting or spreading the coronavirus.” Workers who are unwilling to return to their jobs because of health fears are o