New York Department of Labor gives update on labor force amid pandemic

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — New York’s Department of Labor (DOL) Monday held a press conference on the state of the labor force amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commissioner Roberta Reardon said there’s a record high in job openings and more than 600,000 New Yorkers unemployed.

The DOL surveyed employers and job seekers to try and find out why those numbers aren’t going down.

Employers said they aren’t finding enough qualified workers, and job seekers said they are looking for higher wages, flexible scheduling, job security, and better career path options.

The DOL also found that due to the fact that lockdowns and pandemic restrictions had a larger impact on industries with more female than male employees and there were fewer childcare options due to closures and regulations, women were hit the hardest by unemployment.