Labor Shortage

Colorado’s ambulance services are stretched dangerously thin — which spells trouble for residents and overworked EMTs and paramedics. KUNC statehouse reporter Lucas Brady Woods sat down with In The NoCo's Robyn Vincent to explain why they are on the brink of collapse.

Union representatives told Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo at a roundtable this week that a communication breakdown is preventing their members from working on projects receiving federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. They also discussed apprenticeship programs and barriers undocumented people face when hoping to join a union.

The pandemic amplified nursing homes' long-standing workforce issues. Those staffing shortages persist, as nearly a quarter of nursing homes in the U.S. report not having enough nurses or aides.

Public swimming pools across the Mountain West are facing lifeguard shortages. To address the problem, some agencies are offering hiring incentives.

Before the pandemic, restaurants accounted for nearly 10% of the state’s labor force. Since the pandemic began, restaurants and the workers who keep them running have been hit hard. An apprenticeship program is pairing young people looking to start a career in the food industry with restaurants looking for help.

Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why some Coloradans are returning to the small farming communities they planned to leave behind. And, we learn about a new initiative to increase the hiring rates for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Educators are exhausted these days. Schools in the Mountain West are dealing with extreme staff shortages that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.