POLITICO Labor shortage spurs a rush to get Americans back to work At least a dozen states are cutting off jobless benefits and some companies are raising wages in an attempt to boost hiring. People stand in line, resumes in hand, while waiting to apply for jobs during an outdoor hiring event for the Circa resort and casino on April 27, 2021 in Las Vegas. | AP Photo/John Locher Link Copied Federal and state officials, who spent the last year trying to keep Americans safe in their homes during the pandemic, are suddenly grappling with the opposite problem: how to lure them back to work.