Remember when the McChicken at McDonald’s was only a dollar a year ago? Now that same sandwich is almost $2. What’s the reason behind these crazy spikes? The Washington Post put it best – “Fast-food customers are back, but workers are not.”
As restaurants try to re-open doors, they were hit with less workers. The Delta variant made people less reluctant to work in service jobs such as fast food places. The small tight spaces in many restaurants have made the idea of working at these places undesirable.
On top of those tight spaces are the low stagnant wages that continues to plague service jobs.
“Cristian Cardona, a 22-year-old former McDonald’s swing manager from Florida, said he has heard the criticism that shortages are fueled by elevated unemployment benefits — including the now-lapsed $300 a week in federal aid that supplemented state benefits — during the pandemic, or even laziness.” -Washington Post
I think there may be some truth to laziness. Many people have gotten use to not working during the pandemic. Restaurants having low wages does not entice people to get off their couch to search for those jobs. In fact, they would rather stay at home and wait for better jobs open up. In the meantime, I am watching my Big Mac jump .60 cents since June. Is anyone else noticing these constant rises in food prices at their favorite restaurants?
