A survey found that 60% of light industrial businesses struggled to keep up with increased demand in 2021, and staff retention was a big hurdle amid the ongoing labor shortage. The survey was released by Instawork, a flexible work app for local and hourly professionals, in partnership with Logistics Management magazine.
Thirty-one percent of survey respondents reported having to forego business in 2021 due to lack of workers and 39% said they are focused on hiring new staff, while 72% increased pay as part of staff retention efforts. The average raise was $2.54 per hour for most light industrial hourly full-time staff.
Looking ahead, fewer than 50% of surveyed companies are investing in flexible scheduling and career development, despite those being top requests from workers.
Additionally, 18% of respondents are currently leveraging technology to address their ongoing staffing needs, which provides increased opportunities to improve operational efficiencies and attract and retain top talent.
“We regularly hear from the hourly workforce about the critical need for work flexibility, higher pay and opportunities for career growth,” said Kira Caban, head of strategic communications at Instawork. “Addressing these needs will be critical for the industry to attract and retain the staffing necessary to stay on top of record levels of customer demand.”