The Massachusetts unemployment rate crept up to 4.3% in February, once again trending in the wrong direction. That seems hard to believe when the most recent National Federation of Independent Business Jobs Report shows 40% of small businesses have open positions they cannot fill. Of course, Massachusetts consumers notice longer lines at store checkouts with fewer cashiers and spending more time in restaurants waiting for their meal because there are not enough servers, all while “Help Wanted” signs hang on windows.
As challenging as the current labor crunch is, Massachusetts’ small businesses are still shouldering the burden of the Commonwealth’s $2.7 billion in pandemic-related Unemployment Insurance (UI) debt with little help…
