Why shoppers are finding many products in such short supply

By now you've probably noticed empty shelves or delivery delays for everything from trucks and toilet paper to toys and smartphones. Even supermarkets, restaurants and school cafeterias are missing shipments. 

One reason? A labor shortage along the supply chain, the shorthand term for a series of steps that goods make from farm and factory to store shelves or your door. Simply put, there aren't enough workers to process, move, sell and deliver all the goods coming into U.S. ports across the country fast enough. A national shortage of truck drivers is also making it harder for goods to quickly reach warehouses, which themselves are understaffed. 

The upshot for consumers: It's taking longer to get items on store shelves or on your doorstep. Much of the problem stems from the sudden shift in Americans' buying habits during the pandemic, said JPMorgan Chase's Michael Cembalest in a podcast accompanying a report titled "Dude, where's my stuff?"