Are Idahoans Working The Unemployment System?

What is going on? Everyday I see that businesses across the Treasure valley have job openings that they cant' fill. It doesn't make sense that people are struggling and can't pay the rent ( the state actually has a rental assistance program) yet there are a plethora of job openings. Has the pandemic created a bunch of stay at home, unmotivated, lazy Idahoans? Has the workforce given up? Or maybe, just maybe the would be workers are working the system?.

“This is a stepping stone to something else and I think what we're seeing right now is people moving on to something else, so the pandemic has allowed them to see what they want to do... I think some of that uncertainty is more playing out right now than having access to unemployment,” Owner of The District coffee shop Scott Seward said in a ktvb interview. “I mean I think that has something to do with it, but right now it's just finding people to do a job like this.”

Is Scott right on the money? has the pandemic given people the time to reflect and figure out that life is short and that they should be living their passion as opposed to just working for a living? I've heard people say that they can make more money staying at home and collecting unemployment instead of going out and getting a minimum wage job as a server or doing a retail job. I can't confirm or deny that strategy to be an effective one but according to the department of labor the average the average weekly unemployment payment is $325. In theory if you make less than $325 at your job and you can stay home and get a raise then add a few stimulus checks on top of it then it all makes sense. Let's hope for the latter.