With COVID-19 restrictions expiring Tuesday in Michigan, businesses are feeling the crunch to hire more workers.
Small to medium-sized businesses have taken the hardest hit, according to experts. They said these businesses need to be doing more to attract old and new employees.
READ: Metro Detroit businesses respond to lifting of COVID capacity, mask restrictions
“What can businesses do to attract workers? They have to ask themselves that,” said Peter Ruark, senior policy analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy.
According to a survey by the Detroit Regional Chamber, more than 20% of employees said they didn’t feel safe going back to work, and almost 14% said they wanted better wages and benefits too.
“What it really comes down to is if businesses want to attract workers. They have to make the jobs more attractive -- maybe that means raising wages, maybe it means providing paid sick leave, or family leave or adjusting their scheduling so that the scheduling is more predictable,” Ruark said.
Get Caught Up: Michigan to lift all COVID restrictions on capacity, masks, gatherings June 22
Monday is last day for most COVID restrictions in Michigan
Monday is the last day that COVID-19 capacity limits and masking requirements will be in effect in Michigan, about 15 months after the first restrictions were put in place.
On Tuesday, June 22, all capacity limits, indoor and outdoor, will be lifted, and the broad mask mandate, regardless of vaccination status, will expire.
Some orders in long-term care facilities and testing will remain, and guidance on how schools will operate is expected this week.