From Amazon to McDonald's, here's who's hiking wages amid the labor crunch Alexandra Canal Despite increased vaccinations and easing coronavirus restrictions, the U.S. economy is experiencing a labor crunch that's prompting a number of companies to hike wages, in part to attract needed workers. The strong COVID-19 rebound has lit a fire under the economy, but April's weak jobs figures stoked a furious debate about whether enhanced unemployment benefits were behind the worker shortage. As a result, a handful of states like Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and South Carolina, have moved to end federal job aid early. In the last few weeks, big-name retailers and corporations are upping wages and adding lucrative incentives in a bid to attract workers. In the meantime, Congress continues to fight over a $15 per hour federal minimum wage, in a sign of how worker wages continues to be a policy flashpoint.