Workforce
Governments have more than a million job vacancies. Many of those positions need the kind of problem-solving that tech workers are likely to embrace and excel at.
The state House approved a bill that would require the Occupational Safety and Health Division to raise its minimum fines, in some cases, by more than 1,000 percent for violating workplace safety rules.
The program is aimed at both union leaders and rank-and-file members and will focus on what unions should do before a walkout, how to prepare financially for going without pay, what to do on the picket line and more.
Approximately 20 percent of American workers have admitted to using recreational drugs while working remotely, and there has been an increase in working age Americans with substance use disorders since pre-pandemic.
A bill proposed by state Democrats would provide assistance to striking workers, despite unemployment benefits historically being restricted to those who lost their jobs through layoffs and corporate downsizing.
A proposal would expand the “ban the box” concept to the private sector, barring most contractors who do business with the city-parish from asking job applicants about their criminal history until late in the hiring process.
Several out-of-state manufacturers in the housing industry have announced plans to move to the state, citing Connecticut’s impressive talent pool of skilled workers. Currently, 162,800 workers have jobs in manufacturing in the state.
While some pandemic-related gaps and inequities in child-care access have been resolved, high cost and low availability continue to strain families across the state, creating barriers for many trying to return to the workforce.
Technical fixes can help, but there are other ways governments can make public service more attractive. Here are four promising approaches.
The Cuyahoga County Council is considering legislation that would bar businesses that have engaged in wage theft or payroll fraud from contracting with the county and will require contractors to undergo ethics training.
While most wealth gaps are part of entrenched racial disparities from generations ago, employee-owned co-ops, like the Atlanta-based Pecan Milk Cooperative, allow employees to build assets within their work.
The share of 16- to 19-year-olds not working is up 22.4 percentage points since 2021. Eleven states have sought to loosen child labor laws to help fill empty positions.
The nation’s second largest school district and the teacher’s union have reached a tentative agreement that would avert the possibility of a second strike this year. The agreement includes raises for several position types and reduced classroom size.
The Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office predicts that labor market conditions will remain tight through 2025, prompting some employers to turn to foreign workers through federal immigration programs for help.
In 2021, the share of manufacturing employees across the state who were younger than 45 years old was at its highest level in at least a decade, at more than 52 percent. Some hope the negative stereotypes about the industry are changing.
As the work-from-home revolution shows signs of creating a “two-tiered system” of public employment, government employees who can’t do their jobs remotely are going to expect to be paid a premium.
The five states that have the most flexible work policies are liberal, wealthy and mostly coastal, while five Southern states with low union representation and minimal education have the highest percentages of in-person jobs.
Starting in September, the state will end the controversial practice of paying for remote state government employees’ travel to mandatory meetings. It’s unclear if the decision will impact pre-pandemic work policies.
Governments are struggling with high vacancy rates. Rather than trying to return to the pre-pandemic world, they should rethink how workers do their jobs to foster job satisfaction and more capable performance, an expert argues.
It’s hard to imagine a worse time to roll back restrictions on when, where and how long children can work. But several states are moving in that direction.
Some states have encouraged or required labor peace agreements when establishing legal cannabis marketplaces. But employers don’t always adhere to them and penalties for misbehavior are weak. So far, 21 states allow recreational marijuana use.
A proposed bill would allow all police and firefighters enrolled in the state’s pension system an option to retire early with a reduced pension after 20 years of service. Opponents warn it could burden taxpayers.
About 10 percent of union workers reported being homeless at some point while working for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Nearly 30 percent reported being at high risk of homelessness. The strike ended on March 23.
At 14 of 16 executive branch agencies, the percentage of non-white employees is less than the share of the state’s minority population. A 2010 diversity requirement is now at odds with growing GOP suspicion of DEI efforts.
Proposed legislation would abolish less than minimum wages for people with disabilities by August 2025. Minnesota has the third highest number of workers earning subminimum wages in the nation.
A $1.2 million study found that the state should offer 4 percent merit-based raises to make salaries more competitive. Instead, lawmakers approved select raises, including an 11 percent increase for Raúl Labrador’s office.
More than 30 states have laws classifying assault on transit operators as a special category of misdemeanor. Incidents are increasing, and transit workers and their unions are pushing for action at all levels of government.
A panel at the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry's annual meeting advised that state officials rely on data to develop higher education and training programs to address the state’s major labor needs.
The state’s employment office will review the cases of 136,000 residents who collectively received $1.2 billion in “overpayments.” Only approximately 21,000 residents can expect to have their repayments waived.
It has put the ability to deliver essential services at risk, and when government fails, people can die. There are real solutions that will make the public sector more competitive to attract and retain talent.
An estimated 130,000 Pennsylvania workers get illegally cheated out of pay by their bosses every week, but many workers don’t ever take action to recover the funds, and, for those that do, it can take years.
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