All Hands on Deck!

As the jobless rate falls, companies confront growing labor shortages

Scott Scarpato, vice president of Automatic Laundry Service in Newton, Mass., was in a desperate hurry to hire a new field-service worker to repair the equipment his company sells and leases. So he placed a help-wanted ad that offered plenty of come-ons: a starting wage of up to $9 an hour, plus profit sharing, a pension plan and full medical coverage. After three weeks, the ad drew responses from only five people, none of whom was remotely qualified for the position. Says Scarpato: "One applicant had a severe drinking problem. Three could not speak or read English. And the last one...

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