Walk into almost any restaurant, gas station, or grocery store in Laramie, and you’re bound to see the same thing: a “Now Hiring” sign taped to the door. Sometimes it’s accompanied by a bonus offer or an exasperated note pleading for patience due to “short staffing.” And in the local Facebook groups and comment sections, you’ll inevitably see a familiar complaint: “Nobody wants to work anymore.”
It’s a convenient explanation, especially for employers struggling to fill positions. But it’s also deeply misleading, and, frankly, unfair. The truth is that people do want to work. They just don’t want to work for poverty wages, in unstable conditions, without benefits, or at jobs that leave them physically and mentally depleted with nothing to show for it.
The so-called “worker shortage” we keep hearing about isn’t a shortage of willing workers. It’s a shortage of jobs that offer fair pay, security, and respect. And that’s something we need to talk about, especially here in Wyoming.
Let’s look at the numbers. Wyoming’s minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal minimum wage, which hasn’t increased since 2009. That’s just $290 for a 40-hour workweek before taxes. In a town like Laramie, where rent for a modest one-bedroom apartment can easily exceed $700 per month, that wage simply doesn’t cut it. And that’s assuming someone is working full-time, which many part-time or seasonal positions, especially those available to students, do not guarantee.
Despite the state’s relatively low population, Wyoming isn’t immune to national trends. Rising costs of living, inflation, and housing shortages are hitting young people and low-income workers hard. And yet, when folks turn down jobs that don’t provide a living wage, they’re painted as lazy or entitled.
But here’s the real question: why are we expecting people to accept jobs that can’t cover even their most basic needs?
As University of Wyoming students, many of us are juggling academics, extracurriculars, and jobs just to stay afloat. Whether it’s brewing coffee at Coal Creek, bagging groceries at Ridley’s, or folding t-shirts at Walmart, we’ve all seen or experienced the grind of low-wage campus and community labor.
And despite the stereotype of the “broke college kid,” a growing number of students today are not just earning extra pocket money; they’re working to survive. First-generation students, student parents, and those without financial support from home face tough choices: pay tuition or pay rent? Buy books or buy groceries? Take on another shift or study for that exam?
When the jobs available offer little pay, no healthcare, and no flexibility, those choices become even harder. The message we’re receiving is clear: your labor is valuable enough to keep the town running, but not valuable enough to earn you stability.
It’s time to retire the myth that low-wage workers are lazy. In reality, many of the people being criticized for “not wanting to work” are already working multiple jobs, driving DoorDash at night after an early morning shift at a diner, or cleaning hotel rooms on the weekends while studying full-time during the week. They’re not avoiding work; they’re being crushed by it.
The pandemic exposed how dependent our economy is on so-called “essential workers”, people in grocery stores, warehouses, restaurants, and healthcare. These jobs didn’t stop during the crisis. In many cases, workers risked their health while being praised in public and quietly underpaid in private. Now, many of those same workers are rethinking their options. And who can blame them?
Post-pandemic, more workers are refusing to accept unsafe, underpaid conditions. They want jobs with flexibility, fair compensation, and mental health support. They want work that works—for them, not just for their employers.
Of course, many small businesses in Laramie are also struggling. Owners are facing rising supply costs, staffing challenges, and pandemic recovery all at once. But blaming labor shortages on a “generation that doesn’t want to work” is a cop-out. If businesses want to attract and retain employees, they need to offer more than just a paycheck; they need to offer respect, reliability, and a pathway to something better.
Some businesses in town have already stepped up. We’ve seen local employers raise their wages, offer schedule flexibility for students, and create healthier workplace cultures. These steps aren’t just good ethics, they’re good economics.
When workers feel respected and fairly compensated, they stick around. They become more invested in their jobs. They contribute more. But when workers are treated as disposable, you end up with the high turnover and “short staffing” that have become so common.
If we’re serious about solving Laramie’s labor issues, we need to start telling the truth. The problem isn’t a lack of work ethic—it’s a lack of economic justice. And addressing it will take action on several fronts:
- Raise the minimum wage: Wyoming must reconsider its outdated wage standards. $7.25 is not enough. Period. The state should consider a tiered approach to raising wages, especially in urban and campus-adjacent areas.
- Support student workers: The University should expand programs that offer job placement, work-study positions, and emergency financial aid for student employees. On-campus jobs should lead by example in offering livable wages and fair hours.
- Invest in workforce development: That includes job training, mental health support, and creating long-term career pathways, not just temporary employment.
- Value care work and service labor: Whether it’s hospitality or food service, these jobs are essential to our economy. It’s time we treat them, and the people who do them, as such.
The next time you hear someone say, “Nobody wants to work anymore,” challenge it. Ask what kind of work they mean. Ask who benefits from keeping wages low. Ask why it’s acceptable for someone to work 40 hours a week and still be unable to pay rent or buy groceries.
Here in Laramie, in our university community, and across the country, we need to stop blaming workers for a system that’s failing them. The desire to work hasn’t disappeared, but the willingness to accept exploitation has.
And maybe, just maybe, that’s a sign of progress.
