Huge hiring sprees before the summer rush is nothing new, but the events have taken on new urgency in 2021.

McDonald's, Chipotle and Taco Bell held large hiring day events last month to bring thousands of new employees on board. In May, several more businesses will do the same.

Lowe's is holding their national hiring event on May 4, they are hoping to welcome 50,000 seasonal, part-time or full-time employees.

Breakfast restaurant chain IHOP is holding a national recruiting day on May 19, where they want to try to hire 10,000 people at more than 1,600 locations around the country.

A mix of businesses reopening and rehiring for positions lost over the last year, plus a workforce that has either found new jobs during the pandemic or decided to remain on unemployment, plus stubborn COVID-19 infection rates that remain elevated in parts of the country, equals fewer available workers applying to work in traditional face-to-face positions like restaurants and retail.