{"id":122234,"date":"2021-10-02T05:48:31","date_gmt":"2021-10-02T05:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=122234"},"modified":"2021-10-02T05:48:31","modified_gmt":"2021-10-02T05:48:31","slug":"for-restaurants-the-economic-recovery-is-moving-in-reverse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/business\/for-restaurants-the-economic-recovery-is-moving-in-reverse\/","title":{"rendered":"For restaurants, the economic recovery is 'moving in reverse'"},"content":{"rendered":"
America’s more than 30 million small businesses have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic. They employ nearly half of our workforce, and yet they’re far less resourced and capitalized than they were just 18 months ago. And now, entrepreneurs from New York City to Dallas say a labor shortage is holding them back. <\/p>\n It’s true, of course, that companies of all sizes are feeling the labor crunch, but the shortage is particularly felt amongst these small business owners who are still struggling to bounce back post-Covid. Goldman Sachs recently conducted a survey of 1,145 small business owners across 48 states and a variety of industries, and 64% say their workforce challenges have worsened since Covid-19 hit. The overwhelming majority are hiring, and 87% of those hiring are finding it difficult to recruit qualified candidates. Most \u2014 80% \u2014 say difficulty hiring is affecting their bottom line.<\/p>\n The solution might be closer than it seems. One under-tapped talent pool is the nation’s community colleges. These educational institutions are anchors of their local communities as well as centers of mobility and innovation. And the students there are hungry for opportunity. They can help solve the labor shortage crisis.<\/p>\n Historically underrepresented, students at community colleges are less likely to have the professional networks that their peers at four-year universities enjoy. They’re generally lower-income, parents, and first-generation students. Many students often work while attending school, but looking for internships can be the quickest route to future career opportunities in their fields of interest.David M. Solomon is chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. Kenneth Adams is president of LaGuardia Community College. The opinions expressed in this commentary are their own. <\/q><\/p>\n
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\nArmed with this knowledge, Goldman Sachs recently teamed up with community colleges in four cities, including LaGuardia Community College in Queens, New York, to create a pilot program that will provide hardworking students with internships paying $20 per hour. Students will be placed with small business owners who have completed 10,000 Small Businesses, Goldman Sachs’ business leadership and education program. These internships will give students work experience in their field of study and drive growth for participating businesses \u2014 a win-win for both.<\/p>\n