Gratitude and Love for Essential Workers in Pandemic Times from nextSource

nextSource is an organization dedicated to facilitating effective, efficient, harmonious and mutually beneficial interactions between employers and all facets of the workforce. Our services and solutions are focused on finding ways for hiring authorities to access and manage talent and for workers of all classifications to enjoy an affirmative experience when seeking employment, contingent or otherwise. We’d like to use this editorial space today to recognize that labor is indeed the lifeblood of global economic engine and in particular, to praise some of those essential workers currently struggling heroically in this pandemic.

Nurses
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics “Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 12 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will occur for a number of reasons, including an increased emphasis on preventive care; increasing rates of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity; and demand for healthcare services from the baby-boom population, as this group leads longer and more active lives.” However, the pandemic is likely to take a tragic toll on these front-line workers and may impact the numbers of people entering the field. Whatever the future holds for nursing as a profession, we offer sincere and heartfelt thanks to all these caregivers working under great strain to help heal the sick.

Truck Drivers
Earning a median pay rate of around $45,000 a year, semi-tractor/trailer drivers are among the most critical and essential workers in the pandemic environment. Keeping supply chains for food, medical equipment and other essential goods moving, these workers are doing some of the most important work imaginable. BLS says, “Employment of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2018 to 2028, about as fast as the average for all occupations. As the demand for goods increases, more truck drivers will be needed to keep supply chains moving.” At the same time the American Trucking Association has been reporting on a driver shortage for the last several years. These workers are unsung heroes and deserve our respect and gratitude.

Medical Scientists/Biopharma Researchers
“Employment of medical scientists is projected to grow 8 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations. Medical scientists will continue to be needed because they contribute to the development of treatments and medicines that improve human health” says the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. This projected growth is certainly going to increase as researchers all over the world scramble to find the science needed to save lives from the deadly virus. We offer our boundless gratitude to these workers who we’re all counting on to help us return to something akin to normal.

So many other job roles are impacted by COVID-19 and prompting professionals to stretch beyond their comfort zones to help ease the collective burden. Teachers transitioning to full-time remote classroom operations to sustain our children’s education; postal and other parcel delivery workers operating under a crushing demand for ecommerce as people stay quarantined; food bank operators struggling to provide basic sustenance to the newly unemployed/displaced; farmers, agricultural producers/processors, supermarket staff, liquor store employees, and more are the true heroes of this difficult and troubling time. We owe them all an enormous debt of gratitude and we remain dedicated to helping ensure the workforce is managed in the most life-affirming and positive ways possible.

To read more on this subject, turn to nextSource for expert guidance and visit our solutions page.

“