The National Guard says it's struggling to hire as big private companies boost pay and benefits. Maj. Marco Irenze said, per a press release by the National Guard Association of the United States last month. Across all private nonfarm jobs, workers in production and nonsupervisory roles earned $28.75 an hour in May on average, per preliminary seasonally-adjusted BLS data. "This is the most challenging recruiting environment the Department of Defense has probably ever faced," Col. Anthony Pasquale, the chief of the Air Guard's recruiting & retention division, said, per the press release. As well as high wages in other industries luring workers away from the military, the pandemic also made it harder for the National Guard to recruit in traditional ways such as at high schools, the National Guard Association said.

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Persons: it's, —, Carl's, Marco Irenze, Irenze, didn't, Col, Anthony Pasquale Organizations: National Guard, Wendy's, UPS, FedEx, Microsoft, Service, Nevada Guard, National Guard Association of, Nevada Guard's, Battalion, Washington Air Guard's, Mobile, Illinois Army Guard's Woodstock Sustainment Program, Workers, Employers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Defense, Air, Air Guard, National Guard Association Locations: Amazon, United States, Nevada