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.
DHS is using federal funds to reimburse local police who partner with ICE, a policy that could reshape law enforcement in rural communities with limited staffing and resources.
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Innovative technology enables state Department of Labor and Training to rapidly scale services for residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seattle’s tech industry relies on foreign workers. It is growing increasingly nervous about Trump’s next steps after he suspended all company-sponsored green card applications for the next 60 days. “Those particular jobs are super critical.”
Many companies had been resistant to employees working from home, but the coronavirus pandemic has shown that it’s very feasible and functional. Working from home has great benefits and should be continued post-pandemic.
Thousands of Floridians are desperately waiting for their unemployment benefits as the state’s system falls further behind. The state hopes to process 80,000 claims this week, though the backlog is more than 560,000.
The current public health crisis has complicated the relationship between an employer’s need to know and an employee’s patient privacy. “I’m sure that in some of these cases, we’ll see litigation out of this crisis.”
Gig workers are largely ineligible for company unemployment assistance and health care which means many continue working despite virus-like symptoms. Some sick workers keep going because, “what would these people do if I didn’t do it?”
New Jersey’s system was written in a software language created in the 1950s and it can’t handle the large influx of unemployment claims. The problems heighten calls for a complete system rewrite.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry says that about half of the recent million or more recent claims filed so far have been paid. “We will take care of everyone’s concerns.”
As unemployment claims continue to spike, the Labor Department’s website couldn’t handle the huge increase in volume. “We are going to work to make sure people get the unemployment that they need to get through this crisis.”
Instacart shoppers want health protections and extra pay while they work during the coronavirus outbreak, but the workers are all independent contractors. If they strike, they don’t get paid.
While many businesses are making financial cuts, some Silicon Valley companies have benefited from the online and remote shift, especially those that favor online interactions, purchasing and education.
According to Washington state’s Employment Security Department 133,464 residents filed for unemployment last week, five times greater than any week during the Great Recession, and the influx is creating tech issues.
The employees that work in a field that has been deemed “essential” stil have to go to work every day. How is “essential work” determined and what are the risks for those that are working normally?
Coronavirus’ lockdowns and social distancing have created a massive societal shift toward the online world. ‘Artificial Intelligence’ jobs are predicted to grow in a time when many other jobs are faltering.
Detroit has drawn the attention of electric vehicle companies that want to produce electric commercial vehicles. “We want to tap into Detroit’s engineering base, which understands the demands of automotive systems.”
Washington state is first to see the employment repercussions as workers are laid off, permanently and temporarily. “It’s impossible for us to know how many folks potentially will apply for unemployment insurance.”
Some employees are receiving paid sick leave from their company while others are having to take indefinite leaves without pay. The coronavirus crisis could provide an opportunity to rebuild workforce regulations.
Uber Works has expanded into its third American city: Dallas. At the end of 2019, 2.9 million Americans work in seasonal or temporary positions, and the temporary work app hopes to appeal to that workforce.
States have been twice as likely to block paid sick leave mandates at the local level as they've been to impose such requirements themselves. That may change.
Tennessee Valley Authority is replacing IT specialists in Chattanooga with a French-based contractor. The union that represents TVA workers says that the company is threatening its own cybersecurity by breaking contract.
Flippy is a robot that can make burgers and chicken fingers and costs less than a human worker. But robots, like Flippy, are a financial risk that don’t always work. “We took a bet. A risky bet. But it’s paying off.”
IBM reworked its hiring after realizing that “there’s over 700,000 [unfilled] tech jobs… there are only about 70,000 [candidates] with a computer science degree.” The new apprenticeship program hopes to bridge the gap.
The state wants to create a workforce that can support the growing number of financial service employers; Florida State College’s grant will help move them toward that goal. Officials hope this will keep tech talent in the state.
Kingsburg, Calif., expects to build a call center for the newly merged T-mobile, Sprint company that foresees employing more than 1,000 people. The center hopes to be fully staffed and operational by 2022.
Officials gathered in Manchester, N.H., to discuss the possible, positive implications of technology in the workforce. Technology can be a net gain for the workforce, as long as we ensure it doesn’t widen economic gaps.
With increasing tech and automation, the next work generation can expect to have 19 jobs over their career, which could require constant skill updating. California’s commission hopes to develop ideas on how to embrace it.
Could a cyberattack that hit a West Virginia county school system have been prevented if the Office of Technology didn’t have vacancies in 22 percent of its positions? Many fear that private industry will steal all tech workers.
California’s Bay Area is increasingly difficult to afford on an average STEM salary, which is forcing workers to commute or move. Companies are taking note and building offices in Texas and Pennsylvania to accommodate.
A study found that loneliness in the workplace is increasing and can be connected to increased electronics. Loneliness at work could lead to lower levels of productivity, missing days of work or even quitting a job.
As technology begins replacing simple tasks like check-out and stocking, stores are now finding new ways to occupy their employees’ time. Mostly, employees are stepping in where robots can’t: high-touch human interaction.
