"We can't find workers" is not always equivalent to "we're not willing to pay", but when you're trying to fill those positions with teenagers (who almost by definition don't have experience, training, or education which may actually be scarce), it's sure hard to interpret any other way.
My father is closing in on retirement. One of the folks who works under him intends to leave when he does. There are maybe two dozen people in the world who do exactly what they do. It's a small field.