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The cleaning industry has significant workforce issues. Many jan/san distributors, facility managers, and BSCs cannot find enough full-time employees, putting all staff members under remarkable strain. Evidentially, the cleaning industry isn’t alone. 

In a recent interview, famed television host and trades advocate Mike Rowe said that while there is a skills gap, there is another crisis involving lack of work ethic. In the interview he said there are 6.8 million able-bodied men that are not even seeking employment despite being unemployed. He said such an issue has not happened during peacetime. 

Rowe isn’t out of line in his assessment. MSN researched U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics information and found that the rate in which men participate in the workforce has steadily declined in recent decades. In 1948, 86.6 percent of men worked. In 2024, the rate was just 68 percent. 

So why exactly do so many not want to work? Well, Advanced Investing for Beginners argues that quit culture is driven by number of factors. Many people are fed up with working long hours just for the bare minimum. What they earn barely covers the cost to survive, leaving no room to save or for error. In many cases, people are one paycheck or less away from total ruin. Another hurdle is that many jobs labeled as “entry level” are anything but. People applying for these positions are tired of being turned down for not having enough experience for something that isn’t supposed to require much. 

A toxic work environment is and will always be an issue. Many people are unwilling to tolerate employment that makes them feel uncomfortable or even unsafe. Other common themes that Advanced Investing for Beginners cites as reasons for a quick resignation include lack of work-life balance, an absence of meaningful work, burnout, and jobs that turn out to be different than what the employee expected when they accepted the position. 

So, what are some things employers can do to entice workers to join and also stay? A good place to start is to offer a livable wage, according to MSN. Workers are not interested in swag, pizza parties, or the like. As one social media user was quoted “You can’t pay your rent or save for retirement with a pizza party.” 

The MSN article, which is built on responses by readers, has some interesting replies. One employee shared that they had an employer that offered PTO for workers who adopt an animal so that owner and pet have time to bond. Another recalled how their employer told them they could take as much PTO as they needed to be with their father who was dying. Another said a miscarriage should be a valid reason to take bereavement.