Inventory loss “could have been a lot worse,” said Johanna Dominguez of Put a Plant on It. But merchants suffered as shoppers stayed home.

The worker-owned co-op shut down in the spring due to staffing shortages. It reopened by raising wages and tuition.

Erin and Dave Sheffield of Buffalo, New York, met dumpster diving at a local university. Now they’ve taken their hobby to the next level.

In addition to her day job, Jennifer Barton of Buffalo now sells mugs and other goods she makes, plus owns a community art studio.

The tight job market means it’s been years since Matt Gehman has hired new qualified employees at MMG Industrial and Metal Locking Service.

“I have to get less food,” one shopper said. “So I plan very carefully with my food stamps.”

“This was the first time I saw the data match to a human experience,” says Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist.

Joseph Lettieri, co-owner and operator of InnBuffalo off Elmwood, almost sold the hotel in 2020. Now, it’s the busiest it’s ever been.

Jerry and Lou Jacobs, co-CEOs of global hospitality company Delaware North, say inflation is a bigger concern than labor right now.

A few months into the pandemic, Sam Heansel was laid off from her graphic design job. She’s been working at a pet store for two years.