Many factors driving tight labor market

We are beginning to see some of the longer-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic as life returns to normal. For many, the more precise term could be "new normal," because things are nothing like they were before the world basically shut down 16 months ago. That's especially true in the regional labor market, where a shortage of workers has many businesses struggling to get help as customers flock back to venues outside of their homes.

The literal signs are everywhere, most notably in the windows of fast food and other restaurant businesses. "Help wanted." Employers are competing for bodies, an...