Santa shouts to a family at a Bass Pro Shops drive-by Christmas kickoff last Saturday in Springfield, Mo. Photo: Andrew Jansen/Springfield News-Leader via Reuters
The tight labor market is producing a Santa shortage as malls try to return to real-life wonderlands after last year's virtual workarounds, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Why it matters: "Working Santas are capitalizing on their scarcity value, bumping up hourly rates and packing their schedules," the Journal notes.
- "Concerns about the virus are still high among a group of workers that skews toward older, heavier-set men."
Go deeper: Surprise labor shortage hits schools