Workforce
State and local governments face a tight labor market and a competitive disadvantage with the private sector. But salaries aren’t the only issue, with cities, counties and states all grappling with training, retention, remote work and increased union activity.
With enrollment trending down, colleges are simplifying the process for students to get credit for skills they already have, which can save them both time and money.
The U.S. House passed YouthBuild for the Future act as part of the larger $78 billion Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The bill now moves to the Senate.
The state saw a civilian labor force gain of 14,000 and an employment increase of 19,000 last month. April was the 12th consecutive month of job growth and 10th consecutive month of unemployment decline for the state.
Inflation, desire for hybrid work and low wages have caused great swaths of workers across Massachusetts to leave their jobs in human services, threatening the industry. Some say the state needs to be proactive.
Cities and counties are still struggling to regain pre-pandemic employment levels. New approaches to hiring and retention could help fill the gap.
The estimated cost of attendance at a University of California is $38,504; California State Universities are expected to cost $30,676. Only 33 percent of Californians said a four-year degree was needed for a successful and profitable career.
The Texas city’s manufacturing jobs reached 52,000 last fall, its highest level in more than two decades; employment in auto manufacturing more than doubled over the last 20 years.
Despite declining COVID numbers, the state’s unemployment numbers remain well above the national average. Businesses are still cautious about hiring and thousands of workers are quitting their jobs.
To combat the continuing labor shortage, many companies are reconsidering hiring requirements and are “downcredentialing” their job openings. Many expect this reclassification to continue beyond the pandemic.
The Minnesota city has received more than $1 million from the state to help prepare individuals for new careers, particularly in the health care, construction, IT and manufacturing fields.
A new report found that just more than one-third of the California county’s 190,000 total jobs were “quality jobs.” But a public-private initiative wants to upgrade the region’s employment by about 20 percent.
Advocates are pushing for “clean slate” legislation, which would expunge criminal records for people with low-level or non-violent crimes. But until reform happens, these groups are helping to secure second chances.
Failing to invest in the emergency response communication workforce and infrastructure is taking a toll. One important way to bolster call center employee morale and retention is to reclassify these professionals as first responders.
Interviews and surveys with hundreds of teachers and school administrators reveal the effect of persistent staffing shortages on school personnel – and on students.
Started by Jerry Brown nearly 50 years ago, the CCC is a rock-solid model for programs that combine workforce development, public service and pushback against climate change.
Employees are 15 times more likely to build retirement savings if they have automatic payroll deductions at work, according to AARP. But such plans don't exist for about 55 million American workers.
Government workers are going to press for wage increases that — at a minimum — catch them up to rising prices. Budgeters and labor negotiators need to be careful not to lock in terms that put them in a fiscal squeeze in the future.
An Assembly bill would reduce the definition of a work week down to 32 hours for companies with more than 500 employees and would require companies to pay overtime for time worked past four full days.
There has been a rise in employee lawsuits demanding reimbursement for extra expenses triggered by remote work, such as Internet, printing or temperature regulation costs which could amount to as much as $5,000 a year.
The coronavirus pandemic caused an unprecedented number of jobless aid applications, creating a deep backlog which the state says is impossible to quickly clear; a group of residents has filed a lawsuit in complaint of the delays.
As the risk of cyber attacks increases amid the Russian war on Ukraine, many companies are finding that filling open cybersecurity positions is not easy; job openings have increased 29 percent since last year.
Applications for state jobs have fallen 52 percent over the past two years and reflect a similar problem in the private sector. The state Civil Service Commission has sought permission to boost starting pay to blunt the trend.
In January, the state’s unemployment rate stood at 5.9 percent, nearly two percentage points higher than the national average. However, nonagricultural employment in the state grew by about 6 percent compared to the year prior.
In a survey of Chicago executives, 43 percent thought employees would return to the office three days a week, instead of the full five, reflecting a shift in workplace culture that could stay post-pandemic.
The California Supreme Court will decide whether the state’s ban on asking job applicants about their health applies to job-screening companies, in response to a proposed class-action lawsuit on behalf of 500,000 job applicants.
Data collected from companies with 100 or more employees revealed that only 36 percent of the top earners were women and Hispanic and Latino people and Black people were overly represented at the lowest pay levels.
A public service academy at Arizona State University is helping students consider a career in the public sector. As other universities offer similar programs, will they succeed in expanding the talent pool for government?
Federal aid won’t be enough to help ailing rural communities and urban neighborhoods. It's time for state policymakers to target them with cost-effective job creation policies.
A recent study found that in 2019, women earned 80.8 percent of what a man earned in a similar position, though some jobs, like financial managers, judges and chief executives, make well below that mark.
The state added less than 6,000 jobs in January, the smallest gain since May 2021. While economists expect the slowdown to be temporary, some are concerned that the Russian war in Ukraine will further delay rebound.
The state Senate approved two bills that would cut unemployment insurance benefits and lower employer contributions to pre-pandemic levels. If the House accepts the bills, they will head to Gov. Beshear’s desk for signature.
