Biden says wages will need to rise to resolve hiring issues

President BidenJoe BidenKentucky lawmaker comes under scrutiny for comparing Fauci to Jonestown cult leader Omar leads lawmakers to call on US envoy to fight Islamophobia The Public Charter School Group explodes the democratic cut proposal said on Wednesday that companies struggling to hire workers amid the coronavirus pandemic will have to offer higher wages in order to solve their recruitment problems.

Biden made the comments during a CNN town hall in Cincinnati in response to a question from a member of the public who works in the restaurant business.

Biden touted his $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, which funded a program that relieves restaurants severely affected by virus-related closures and restrictions, before suggesting low wages could keep people out to return to work.

“I think it’s really a question of people now deciding that they have the option to do other things and where there is a shortage of employees, people are looking to make more money and to negotiate. And so I think your business and tourism are really going to be at an impasse for a little while, ”Biden said.

“John, I guess people pay seven, eight dollars an hour plus tips, I think, John, you’re going to find $ 15 an hour or more now,” Biden said, addressing the member. of the public by name. “You can already pay for this. “

The president also said his administration “was putting an end to all those things” that were preventing people from returning to work, apparently referring to the increase in unemployment benefits that his administration denied contributed to the recruitment problems.

Biden then clarified that he had seen “no evidence that this had a serious impact,” but acknowledged that some had argued that the expanded benefits made people stay home.