Employers will do almost anything to find workers to fill jobs — except offer higher pay

Of all the addictions that undermine stability in communities and society at large, surely one of the worst and most persistent is the addiction of corporate managements to pleasing their shareholders.

Billions of dollars are funneled to owners of capital in the form of dividends and stock buybacks, while laborers go begging for even the measliest wage increases. In recent days and weeks we've seen the process play out for the umpteenth time, as businesses grouse about a labor shortage even as job openings increase.