Labor shortages in the United States cause traffic jams at ports

      This was all triggered more than a year and a half ago by the COVID pandemic and what's remarkable is how in some parts of the world, supply chain conditions have gotten worse over the past two months alone.

We've talked about the back-up of the giant container ships waiting to unload in California. The problem here isn't the total clog like you might see in a sink, but more like a slow drain.

     Before the COVID pandemic, these ships would sail right into one of the two major ports here to unload their cargo containers.

     Now they're waiting an average of 10 days after they reach the area before they can get a berth in a port. America's labor shortage is a factor.

     News media have widely reported on the lack of truck drivers needed to haul these containers away and the lack of warehouse workers needed to unload the trucks.

     But you're about to hear from the truckers who are working who point to their inability to quickly drive into port, pick up a container and haul it out. So more skilled long shore men are needed at the ports themselves.

     COVID related closures and restrictions play a part in all this, as different countries have different rules for who can work where, and demand for goods is incredibly high.

     In the corona virus era, Americans have been spending less money on services and more on stuff.

     So delays in getting the stuff into port, onto trucks, out in warehouses and in the mail means the companies that sell these goods are running out and have to wait on what they stock.