There is a startling occurance happening in Bismarck right now. For the first time that I can remember, there are businesses actually closing because they cannot find workers. Granted the businesses in question are not the greatest paying businesses, but they are jobs. The first happened about a month ago, and was the closing of the rather new A&W on the north side of town. Now just last week the Wendy’s on State Street has closed citing the same reason.

I find it hard to believe that they cannot find anyone to work. I think the trend does not have anything to do with a shortage of people but rather a laziness forming in the next generation. I have noticed that fewer college kids are working as compared to when I was in college full time. Also many high school kids no longer have jobs or work very few hours compared to years ago. a lot of these same kids expect to enter the workforce after school with $50k a year jobs and not have to work their way up the corporate ladder. When as not to most of our surprise, this is far from the truth. Actually I’m rather sick of the notion that these kids have about work and expect everything to be handed to them. It makes me glad that I am not an employer that employs un-trained/un-experienced people because the turnover rate and lack of work ethics I hear about from other employers would be maddening.

All I have to comment on the issue is that I hope this next generation wakes up or we are in for some hard economic times in the future of our country.