The number of workers is low, and the manufacturer recruits executives on the factory floor

Wendy Marcus was recently meeting with senior leaders of Newell Brands Inc. when news broke that she needed to leave immediately.

Newell’s factory that manufactures Yankee candles is once again short of workers. The factory needs R&D manager Ms. Marcus on the assembly line to help pack the scented gadgets into gift baskets.

Ms. Marcus recalled: “I told them,’I have to work overtime,’ and they just said,’Okay, thank you, keep going.”

U.S. manufacturers have done a better job in protecting their factory floors and controlling their employees from contracting Covid-19. Despite the progress they have made, they are still struggling to find enough people to staff their factories. The shortage of workers is blocking the supply chain and delaying all deliveries from auto parts to candles when demand picks up.

Among the weird effects of Covid-1

9: Despite the high unemployment rate, many employers are having trouble hiring enough workers. The unemployment rate in December stabilized at 6.7%. The national plan (a sign of layoffs) has also stabilized at around 790,000 for the first weekly jobless claims. Compared with the peak of nearly 7 million in March, this number has dropped significantly, but it is still about four times the pre-pandemic average.