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With more than two years of pandemic-related upheavals, business disruptions in many corners of the economy are reeling from Covid-19.
Supply chain disruptions eased. Semiconductor shortages have turned gluttonous, a sharp reversal from global shortages fueled by more than two years of high demand. And small businesses and restaurants are finding it easier to hire workers despite a shortage of pizza delivery drivers after being overwhelmed by the pandemic.
As the new year approaches, check out some of The Wall Street Journal’s recent coverage of businesses getting back to normal following the Covid disruption.
Long haul cargo ships at major ports have disappeared and ocean freight rates have fallen below pre-pandemic levels.
Photo:
David Walter Banks for the Wall Street Journal
It eases supply chain congestion
Despite some production bottlenecks in China and the Covid outbreak, goods are once again moving around the world and reaching companies and consumers. In the past, week-long cargo ship gridlocks have disappeared at major ports where the outbreak has occurred. Ocean shipping rates have fallen below pre-pandemic levels.
Chips copy the script
Chip inventories are swelling, reflecting what’s happening in the broader economy as retailers cling to goods on their shelves, and produce a variety of products now in high demand amid the pandemic.
The global semiconductor industry has gone from a shortage to a glut.
Photo:
Heather Ainsworth for the Wall Street Journal
Last minute holiday shopping returns
Discounts are back as shops try to lure cost-conscious customers who are willing to wait for the best deals. Retailers’ holiday season rush has reversed the past two years, with supply chain delays and shipping delays creating an urgency among consumers to shop early.
Shoppers are waiting longer for holiday deals as retailers try to bring them back into stores at discounted prices.
Photo:
Sina Naseri for the Wall Street Journal
Workers return to restaurant jobs
The restaurant industry, which has shed some large jobs and laid off workers since the pandemic hit the United States, has pared most of the losses. Restaurants and bars added 62,000 jobs in November, according to the Labor Department. Restaurant owners and workers are returning, including increased wages, improved working conditions and fewer opportunities elsewhere.
Small businesses get employment relief
Unfilled job vacancies continue to weigh on many small businesses. But December marked the first time since July that many small business owners found it easier rather than harder to find workers in a Journal survey. Some entrepreneurs say that steps like increasing pay, adding internship programs and rewriting job ads are starting to pay off. Others report an increase in applicants as competitors cut back on hiring or begin layoffs.
Growth is slowing for food delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Photo:
Jutarat Pinyodonyashet for the Wall Street Journal
Change in food supply habits
After taking off during the Covid-19 crisis, the biggest food delivery apps, DoorDash and Uber Eats, continue to record sales expansion. But growth has slowed across the industry. Analysts and industry executives say people are turning to takeout, ordering fewer meals and changing what’s delivered.
The pizzeria is hiring delivery drivers
The shortage of delivery drivers is hurting pizzeria owners, from chains like Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut to small mom-and-pop stores. Pizza restaurants The often rigid schedules of pizza restaurants, coupled with rising fuel prices and the threat of crime, have contributed to the shortage.
Write to Todd Olmstead at todd.olmstead@wsj.com
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