From the Fed's latest Beige Book <http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/FOMC/BeigeBook/2000/20000809/default.htm>.
>Labor Markets
>Nearly all Districts reported that labor markets remain very tight,
>and the labor shortage has become more severe in the Boston and
>Kansas City Districts. Difficulty obtaining workers was restraining
>employment growth in the Atlanta, Dallas, Richmond, and St. Louis
>Districts.
>
>The shortage of workers is reported across all types of industries,
>including manufacturing, services, transportation, construction,
>energy extraction, and information technology. Several Districts
>mentioned difficulty obtaining retail workers. A retailer in the
>Richmond District said it is a challenge to find reliable employees,
>adding that some "employees just don't show up for work." A Dallas
>District retailer said the lack of employee experience is hurting
>sales. A staffing service contact in the Chicago area said that
>meeting its customers' needs for workers was "like torture."
>
>Most Districts said wages, benefits, or incentives were growing and
>becoming more creative. Signing bonuses are becoming larger for both
>skilled and unskilled workers at many firms in the St. Louis
>District, and some fast food chains are offering free meals, regular
>pay raises, paid training, and profit sharing. The San Francisco
>District reported that there were few instances in which wage
>increases were outstripping productivity gains but there had been a
>pickup in benefit costs. A grocery store chain in the Dallas
>District has addressed advertisements to parents suggesting that
>they encourage their children to become employees because the chain
>offers good pay, flexible hours, and extensive benefits, including
>college tuition.