I think it's a combination of a lot of factors. First, we were going to be facing a bit of a worker crunch anyway as the boomer generation moves through retirement. Even two or three years ago I was attending meetings where I'd see workforce representatives here in Minnesota talk about anticipated job openings far outpacing any population growth expected.
Oddly enough, I think for some families or individuals the pandemic actually relieved some financial stress. There was simply no way to spend money, so pretty much all discretionary spending went away. Coupled with some temporary relief in the form of payments from the government, unemployment supplements and relief from rent, it gave some workers a little breathing room to make job decisions based upon the desirability of the job, child care, etc...
I also think that there is a segment that has chosen not to go back because they are afraid of the pandemic. Plus, I think that people have realized that with adjustments to their lives, they can maybe live on less.
I guess we'll see over the next few years.
