Have you noticed an increased amount of empty shelves in the store? How about frequent delays when trying to order things online? Well if you answered yes to these questions, you would have the global supply chain to blame. The global supply chain is a series of networks, in which goods are farmed, processed, then transported to stores near you. This issue started to become more dire back in March 2020, when the whole world went on lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19. Given people spend more time in their homes, there has also been a rise in online shopping. Since no one could go on night outings or hang out with friends, people were left with an increased budget for buying miscellaneous items.

This surged the demand for goods, which most transportation companies could not keep up with. Furthermore, COVID-19 infections also caused international ports to close, which resulted in ships being thrown completely behind schedule. Another major issue in the supply chain is the worker shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many truck drivers had quit or been fired from their jobs due to the risk of COVID-19, or company budget cuts. Now with the world starting open businesses back up, transportation companies have been having a difficult time finding people to fill the jobs.

Upper School history teacher David Freedholm stated that “we should definitely focus on raising the wages of these workers…with inflation becoming a major issue, this will be one of the first steps in drawing back workers.” Mr. Freedholm then went on to comment on his personal experience with the supply shortage, as he can no longer find common items such as dog food and jello, among other things. Freshman Krish Sexena added on, stating that “it’s the consumers’ fault we are in the situation.” Sexena shares his experience with trying to buy computer supply parts, adding that it’s become almost impossible. Similarly, sophomore Liam Ryan chimed in, suggesting, “We should possibly look into changing the job requirements. With the long hours and little pay truck drivers receive, he says we should consider altering these requirements, in order to motivate more truck drivers to come back [to the industry].”

With the holidays coming within the next month, it is safe to say that things can turn out very differently this year. While this is no reason to panic, keep in mind that you can expect an increase in price, as well as longer delivery times.

Sources Cited:

• Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-11-02/supply-chain-crisis-has-central-banks-facing-stagflation-lite.
• Kay, Grace. “Why the Supply Chain Is in Crisis, Spurring an ‘Everything Shortage’.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 21 Oct. 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/why-store-shelves-are-empty-supply-chain-crisis-shortages-2021-10.
• What Is Causing the Global Supply Chain Crisis? – Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjzwYN6whBk.
• Yec. “Council Post: How the Global Supply Chain Crisis Is Creating Opportunities for Innovation in Sustainability.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 12 Nov. 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/11/12/how-the-global-supply-chain-crisis-is-creating-opportunities-for-innovation-in-sustainability/?sh=18cbd18a4bbc.