California bosses are battling surging labor costs by giving their workers modestly shorter workweeks. My trusty spreadsheet reviewed state figures on pay patterns dating to and found the typical California private-sector employee was paid for Hours dipped in nine California industries, comparing the 12 months ending in November to Remember, these were five wild years, filled with an economy-twisting pandemic, the worst bout of inflation in four decades, and two changes of power in the White House.
The latest workweek was 0. In California, the debate is often hot when it comes to how employers manage lofty minimum wages. The coronavirus pandemic created a tight labor market in which bosses had to pay up to attract and retain staff.
Physical work also fared well. Hands-on workers did well. Reopening the economy after pandemic lockdowns forced many bosses to scramble to adequately staff their businesses. Extra hours helped serve the revived spending. Labor expenses surged along with prices of business supplies and operations. Ballooning business costs โ including wages โ were usually passed along to the consumer.
He can be reached at jlansner scng. By Jon Lansner jlansner scng. More in News.
