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.
The right policies can help more regions take advantage of AI for economic growth and prepare against some of its harms, according to a new report.
Employers across the state are struggling to fill vacant positions as the pandemic-exacerbated worker shortage continues. There are currently more than 110,000 open jobs on the Job Center of Wisconsin website.
Gov. Charlie Baker’s future of work study suggests that as many as 25 percent of workers could potentially be displaced over the next decade as remote work, e-commerce and automation increase.
Amazon warehouse workers in Pennsylvania are twice as likely to have serious injuries than at other warehouses in the region. Last year, the state’s Amazon warehouses reported 7.2 serious incidents per every 200,000 hours worked.
Registered apprenticeship can bridge the gap between job seekers looking for a living wage and employers who need skilled workers. The system, established during the Great Depression, is experiencing a renaissance.
As businesses begin to reopen, many are wondering if employers should require their staff to get vaccinated against the coronavirus to prevent future spread. But it’s difficult for businesses to navigate the legalities of requiring vaccines.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has decided to end the federal unemployment benefits program more than five weeks early to encourage hiring. The state’s jobless pay is $275 per week, or $6.87 per hour, one of the lowest rates in the country.
As the country still struggles with a mass worker shortage, some Ohio companies are trying to encourage workers to apply for positions with incentives that include pay increases, signing bonuses and flexible schedules.
After a year of system glitches and jobless claim fraud, the state claims it has improved its system and is ready to verify eligibility again. So far, ESD has sent verification notices to approximately 105,000 claimants.
Mobile, Ala., Mayor Sandy Stimpson has proposed that the city copy Birmingham’s plan to give its full-time and part-time city employees a $5,000 and $2,500 bonus, respectively, for working during the coronavirus pandemic.
Thousands of residents are still filing jobless claims and struggling to use the CONNECT website, but the state has recently ended its contract with the company that was providing 2,000 reps for the call centers.
The average number of workers available for every open job is half what it has been for the past 20 years. The government sector faces the biggest shortage of all, with 5 times as many open jobs as workers to fill them.
62,000 Pennsylvanians filed unemployment claims within the first 12 hours of the system’s debut which caused state officials to deem the transition a success. But claimants are still experiencing insurmountable obstacles.
Women left the workforce during the pandemic from layoffs or to care for their children at a much higher rate than men. Experts hope women will return to work as schools and other businesses reopen.
COVID-19 proved even to skeptics that a lot of government business can be done from anywhere. So what happens to all the physical spaces that cities and states invested in to house their workforce?
The state’s public schools could be facing the largest number of teacher retirements ever, but factors like enrollment drops should take the sting out of it.
Cities and towns across the nation are reducing their hours or closing pools altogether because they cannot staff enough lifeguards. Reasons for the shortage vary but are related to fallout from the pandemic.
State Sen. Chuck Edwards has proposed a bill that would pay jobless residents for returning to the workforce, either $800 or $1,500 depending on how quickly they become employed.
Officials are beginning to wonder if work-from-home flexibility after pandemic restrictions subside will be beneficial to their employees. For some agencies, working remotely has increased productivity and cost savings.
The state’s unemployment system incorrectly labeled Paulie Keener ineligible to receive nearly $600 in jobless aid. Keener’s lawsuit claims he hasn’t been provided equal protection under the law.
Its growth will provide more and more high-demand, high-wage jobs. Our education system is key to training that workforce of the future, with a particular focus on marginalized communities.
An investigation into the company’s Pierce County warehouse revealed that Amazon is violating state workplace safety laws by requiring employees to work at speeds that exacerbate injuries and lack proper recovery time.
They need to leverage public spending and build partnerships to create and nurture sustainable-wage employment and training for local residents, particularly those from underserved communities.
The state lost millions of dollars to fraud last year, as criminals took advantage of the sharp increase in pandemic-related unemployment. Now, officials are seeing another spike in fraudulent claims, but this time they’re better prepared.
Gov. John Bel Edwards isn’t ready to end additional federal payments before studying its impact. The state is heavily dependent upon tourism jobs, which have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The state announced it would shut down a prison in Susanville that could result in a loss of a quarter of the city’s workforce. Gov. Newsom has pledged to close two of the state’s 34 correctional facilities.
The man who used the identities of more than 100 Washington residents to collect fraudulent unemployment benefit payments is helping officials get a better understanding as to how the widespread fraud occurred.
Gov. Laura Kelly has said she was considering removing the state from federal unemployment bonus payments to encourage workers to return to the workforce. Many Republican states are considering withdrawing the aid.
Two-thirds of Americans over 25 don't have a bachelor’s degree or higher. A Harvard study uncovers inconsistent efforts to give these workers skills for economic mobility and calls for improving the problem.
Officials are worried the city could lose 24 percent of its current workforce by mid-2022. Competition from the private sector has hurt recruitment, especially for specialized fields, such as engineering.
The New Jersey Labor Department said the transition to the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program would be seamless for unemployment claimants, but many are still without pay after weeks.
