Labor Market Mysteries; Plus, Signs Of Life

It's Been a Minute

NPR

News Commentary, Society & Culture, News, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 8.8K Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2021

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The U.S. unemployment rate is still high... so why are we in a labor shortage? Sam chats with Stacey Vanek Smith, host of NPR's The Indicator, and Cardiff Garcia, former co-host of The Indicator, about the American job market and why businesses are having such a hard time hiring. Then, as vaccines have become more widely available and pandemic restrictions lift across the country, people are wandering back out into the world, having experiences they haven't had in over a year. We drop in on a few of these: a dance party, a first date, a game with friends — the small pleasures folks have missed that now feel monumental.

You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0	when Sam decided to bring us back together,
0:02.6	I was like, this is awesome.
0:04.8	And also, I need to like prepare myself for the experience.
0:07.6	So yeah.
0:08.5	I'm gonna tell you, I don't think you guys should have any fears
0:10.9	because it's like, you know, when the old band gets together,
0:13.7	they still know the moves.
0:15.2	Like, in sync, no matter how old they get,
0:17.5	if they get on the same stage, they'll know the choreo
0:19.8	to bye-bye-bye.
0:20.9	They'll always know it.
0:22.1	Yeah, and I still know the choreography to that song.
0:26.9	Ha-ha-ha-ha.
0:29.0	Hey, y'all.
0:30.0	This is Sam's Aunt Betty.
0:31.8	This week, why we're in a labor shortage?
0:35.0	And what reopening feels like.
0:38.0	All right, let's start the show.
0:41.5	Hey, y'all, you're listening to It's Been A Minute
0:43.3	from NPR.
0:44.3	I'm Sam Sanders.
0:45.6	And this episode, I am so happy to welcome back
	...

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