“Economic growth in 2021 has benefitted substantially from federal and state fiscal stimulus, and the rebound from Covid-19-induced economic contraction in the first half of 2020. As stimulus is withdrawn, growth will slow,” says D Michael Wilson, president and CEO of Prince International, a large producer of engineered minerals and specialty chemicals based in Houston, Texas. He also believes growth will be impacted “by the ongoing struggle to find qualified workers [which] continues to impact our ability to meet demand. While widely understood to be an issue for small businesses, restaurants, and travel and leisure, skilled labor shortages are also significantly …
