Why air traffic controllers have one of the world's hardest jobs

"The longest government shutdown in US history hit air traffic controllers hard. Thirteen thousand worked without pay for over a month, taking up jobs driving for DoorDash and Instacart to survive. But staff shortages in US control towers go back decades before the shutdown. Despite being fatigued and overworked, the remaining controllers hold thousands of lives in their hands every day."

"Why is directing planes one of the most challenging jobs in the world? And why are there so few left to get passengers safely on the ground?"

The longest government shutdown in US history forced 13,000 air traffic controllers to work without pay for over a month, driving many to take gig-economy jobs like DoorDash and Instacart to survive. Staffing shortages in US control towers predate the shutdown by decades. Remaining controllers operate fatigued and overworked while bearing responsibility for thousands of lives daily. Directing planes demands sustained concentration, rapid decision-making, and management of complex, time-sensitive traffic. Chronic shortfalls arise from lengthy training pipelines, retirement waves, recruitment and hiring constraints, irregular hours, and the job's high stress, contributing to attrition and limited staffing levels.

Read at Business Insider