The latest report from Baird Equity Research Technology & Services on trends in facility services pointed to modest growth that fell well below expectations for the month of April.

Borrowing a line from Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the report was dubbed, “And Now for Something Completely Different.” It noted that employment numbers remain 8.2 million below pre-COVID-19 levels and affirmed numerous anecdotal reports of labor shortages. While uniform services saw growth, the trend line isn’t what operators wanted to see. “Positively, we still cite much better relative uniform rental and stabilization in jobless claims,” the report said. “Still gains in ...