A worker shortage is challenging many Hudson Valley businesses as owners try to get back on their feet after a difficult year.

A walk down Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains reveals plenty of "help wanted" signs on storefronts.

But as businesses open back up and slowly increase capacity and foot traffic, many owners are walking into another challenge - finding workers to fill roles they had to temporarily halt during closures and tight restrictions.

The Hudson Valley is a microcosm of what is happening across the country. After last month's job report showed a slowdown, President Joe Biden is calling on people to get back to work or risk losing unemployment benefits under the American Rescue Plan.

Many people wonder that since unemployment rate is still higher than it was prior to the pandemic, why aren't people getting back into the workforce?

Some Hudson Valley business owners tell News 12 that jobs just don't pay enough. "If you're working part-time at a restaurant, the money you're making is possibly a little more than what you be making with unemployment. Why not just take unemployment if it's just a couple hundred dollars less," says John Solo, owner Cantina Taco and Tequila Bar.