Workforce Development Insights

RECENT ARTICLES

From Accenture: In the dynamic world of MedTech, companies must master the art of developing an AI-enabled, secure digital core. In this age of continuous reinvention, a robust digital core, engineered on a secure cloud foundation, powered by data and AI, and elegantly delivered through modern platforms and applications, is a necessity for competitive advantage. To ensure patient welfare at the forefront, we must proactively tackle ethical considerations, with a keen eye on data privacy and security as we unlock the potential of AI. Click here to read more.

From The Annie E. Casey Foundation: In less than a generation, social media was born and evolved into a staple of modern life. Today, the “typical” social media user spends two hours and 23 minutes a day perusing social platforms. And 1 in 5 teens report being on YouTube or TikTok “almost constantly,” according to a 2023 survey by Pew Research Center. Despite social media’s enormous popularity, many mental health experts urge caution. Multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm and even suicidal thoughts, according to the global nonprofit HelpGuide.org. Click here to read more.

From The Aspen Institute: Asset ownership is a key milestone on the path to long-term financial well-being, yet many American households have been locked out of traditional ownership opportunities such as real estate. As a result, the lower half of the wealth distribution owns just 3 percent of the nation’s total wealth. To flip this script, we need innovative ownership models that can provide all Americans with an on-ramp to wealth building. One emerging strategy in this space is inclusively owned commercial real estate (CRE), which opens commercial asset ownership to low- to middle-income investors. Click here to read more.

From Brookings: An extensive experimental literature provides useful guidance on how post-secondary institutions, college access and success organizations, and policymakers can best use their limited resources to support students. However, significantly increasing the number of students who find their way to and through college—and reducing disparities by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender—will require a substantial investment. Given the high returns to education for individuals, the economy, and society, additional investment is warranted. Click here to read more.

From Center for American Progress: The 2017 tax law was fundamentally flawed, increasing income inequality while putting upward pressure on the debt for little payoff. Congress will have a chance to address these problems when many of the law’s provisions expire at the end of next year. Policymakers should focus on a package that does not increase income inequality and does not lose revenue while preserving horizontal equity in the tax code and protecting investments in American competitiveness. Click here to read more.

From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Recent Republican legislative proposals would cause people to lose health coverage, increase enrollees’ costs, and destabilize health care providers. States, already struggling in a difficult budgetary environment, would be forced to make deep cuts to Medicaid. Members of Congress shouldn’t ignore the impact of these proposals on Medicaid enrollees, providers, or states as they prepare to debate Medicaid next year. Click here to read more.

From Economic Policy Institute: Alaska and Missouri’s successful minimum wage ballot measures demonstrate the important role states continue to play in lifting wages for low-wage workers while the federal minimum stagnates. The progress of the movement for a $15 minimum wage will soon reach almost half of U.S workers, but without changes in state or federal policy, workers in 20 states will continue to be left behind. Click here to read more.

From FedCommunities: Benefits cliffs can arise when someone receiving public assistance accepts a new job or raise, or increases their work hours. Their benefits—including food, housing, health care, child care, or other assistance—may decrease faster than their rising income can make up the difference, leaving them staring down sudden gaps in their economic resources. Cliffs may affect people who receive benefits and earn up to about $60,000 a year if their income rises. The potential risk to their financial stability can cause people to back away from promising opportunities. Benefits cliffs pose a risk not only to individual workers who feel they then can’t take on a better job. They also ripple out to impact employers and consumers who depend on skilled employees filling those roles. Click here to read more.

From the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta: The Southeast economy grew slightly during October and the first half of November, as labor market conditions continued to normalize and prices remained broadly stable, according to the new Beige Book report on economic conditions from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Employment across the region remained mostly steady since the previous Beige Book report, as the pace of hiring was gradual, and employers often brought on staff only to fill open positions. In the same vein, a lot of companies said they plan to hold employment levels constant into 2025. Some reported plans to cut staff a bit, but mainly through attrition as opposed to layoffs. Click here to read more.

From Gallup Workplace Insights: Just over half of women employed full time (54%) prefer a blender work style (vs. 47% of men). However, when looking at their actual work arrangements, Gallup finds that 75% of full-time working women report that their actual work schedule matches that of a splitter (vs. 71% of men). This means that more than one in three women employed full time (36% vs. 29% of men) have a misalignment between their preferred work style and actual work arrangement. This mismatch can result in lower engagement, higher burnout and stress, and make them more likely to seek a new job. Click here to read more.

From the International Association of Workforce Professionals (IAWP): The workforce of the future will be defined not just by how much it gets done, but by how effectively it adapts, innovates, and creates. Employers and workforce development professionals must take the lead in fostering environments that inspire bold ideas and imaginative solutions. Click here to read more.

From Jobs for the Future: While workforce development isn’t a cure-all for these challenges, it is a powerful tool for equipping current and future workers with the skills they need to thrive in today’s economy. But the U.S. workforce system is underfunded and in need of updating to fully meet the skill needs of America’s workforce, especially in today’s turbulent economy. Click here to read more.

From JPMorganChase: Data provides the foundation needed to empower employers to offer high-quality benefits. In fact, a recent survey of self-insured employers sponsored by Morgan Health revealed that the lack of comprehensive data remains a top challenge when developing an internal health quality strategy. Employers report that compiling medical claims across multiple sources is a challenge – making it difficult to identify differences in quality and unlock areas for improvement. Data is also necessary for training AI models to drive improvements in health care. Click here to read more.

From Manpower: The changing consumer trends are driving significant shifts in worker preferences for employment. Demographic changes, evolving consumer behaviors, and technological advancements are shaping the types of jobs that are in demand and the skills that are valued. Companies that adapt to these trends and offer attractive employment opportunities will be well-positioned to thrive in this dynamic landscape. As the world continues to evolve, it is essential for both employers and employees to stay attuned to these changes and be proactive in embracing new opportunities. The future of work is undoubtedly intertwined with the future of consumer behavior, making it a fascinating area to watch and explore. Click here to read more.

From McKinsey & Company: Our analysis indicates several approaches that US transit agencies could consider as they search for solutions. Boosting non-farebox revenue, achieving more efficient results from operating budgets, and making better-informed choices about capital expenditures can all be ways to help strengthen transit agency balance sheets—while also accelerating the service availability, frequency, reliability, and quality improvements that riders value the most. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE): Written communication skills, initiative, strong work ethic, and technical skills are important to at least 70% of responding employers. In addition, more than two-thirds seek verbal communication skills, flexibility/adaptability and analytical/quantitative skills in the candidates they recruit. Both colleges and employers can help students address and develop these skills and attributes through classroom presentations, in campus programming, during internships, and more. However, it’s important for students to indicate these skills and attributes on their resume so they can have the opportunity to further articulate their proficiency during an interview. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Counties (NACO): The WIOA reauthorization bill does include a handful of positive provisions for counties, such as Bipartisan efforts to reauthorize WIOA strengthening workforce education programs at community colleges that align with in-demand jobs, emphasizing industry partnerships, enhancing workforce data quality standards and emphasizing the need for digital literacy skills, promoting wider skills-based hiring efforts, and codifying a program to help justice-involved individuals transition back to meaningful employment and access skills and career pathways. However, there are several provisions of concern included in the reauthorization bill that would hamper local flexibility and circumvent the voice of local stakeholders who are best equipped to address the distinct needs of jobseekers and employers within their communities. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB): Through all these conversations, we have reiterated the importance of local boards being empowered to serve those individuals seeking paths to employment and businesses needing to hire that talent. Local boards are best positioned to understand economies on the ground, talent needs in their region (which could include training but should not be unnecessarily required), and build strategies to address those needs and connect people with work. Click here to read more.

From the National Conference of State Legislatures: Over 1 million children and adolescents visited emergency departments nationwide for mental health-related reasons annually between 2018 and 2021, according to a National Health Statistics Report. Additionally, the National Survey of Children’s Health reports that nearly two-thirds of the more than 5.3 million adolescents ages 12 to 17 with a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition had difficulty accessing treatment in 2023. That was a 35% increase since 2018. Even when services are available, treatment and outreach strategies are not always tailored to the needs of children and adolescents. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommends youth crisis systems provide “developmentally appropriate services and supports that treat youth as youth, rather than expecting them to have the same needs as adults.” Click here to read more.

From the National League of Cities (NLC): Knowledge and skills development are critical to empowering individuals for lifelong success. Municipal leaders, through economic development and workforce development, are advancing practices and programs that help adults gain skills and credentials that allow them to secure higher-paying jobs. But what if we focused instead on building a pipeline of youth who truly see an opportunity for education after high school and saved for it from a young age? A growing number of municipalities across the country are doing this through Children’s Savings Account programs (CSAs). Click here to read more.

From the National Fund for Workforce Solutions: It’s understandable that most are tempted to turn to Washington for answers to address the big challenges and seek big investments to move the needle. But here’s the thing, while people are facing challenges that are universal, the solutions don’t all come from Washington. The best solutions often spring up from seeds that are planted in local communities. Job opportunities, employers’ talent needs, education and training systems, and access to resources are grounded in local communities. Click here to read more.

From the National Skills Coalition: Students in our listening sessions repeatedly emphasized that no matter what a person’s starting point might be, skills training policies need to be flexible enough to meet them where they are and move them forward over time. For instance, strategies such as expanding Pell Grant eligibility to include high-quality short-term programs and implementing Skills Training Grants would help meet workers where they are financially. Click here to read more.

From Prosperity Now: This report recommends a strategic approach for ESOs, BSOs, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to unlock M&A opportunities that can support long-term wealth-building for Black women in retail. By establishing early planning, clear pathways for buyer and seller readiness, and incorporating intergenerational wealth considerations, we can create a framework for sustainable growth. Emphasizing actionable steps, such as building operational independence and setting up scalable systems, equips Black women entrepreneurs to seize M&A opportunities in ways that align with their goals for prosperity and legacy-building. Click here to read more.

From the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): In the U.S., deskless workers are made up of 13.2 million employees in retail, 18.7 million in health care, 9.1 million in manufacturing, 3.9 million in education, and 442,400 in utilities, according to 2023 statistics. But even though deskless workers abound, they face a bigger challenge than office-based workers for training and development, according to 79% of 1,046 HR professionals SHRM surveyed in 2024. The main obstacles are limited internet access and the lack of a place to sit and quietly undergo training, according to Joy Lacher, assistant director of learning and development (L&D) at Xylem Tree Experts. Click here to read more.

From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Each year, the global trade of counterfeit goods across all sectors drains more than $460 billion from the global economy and siphons over 300,000 jobs from the U.S. market. Beyond the direct economic toll, counterfeiting undermines America’s capacity for innovation, undercuts the ability of legitimate retailers to succeed, and stifles economic growth. Click here to read more.

From Workforce Monitor: Staffing employment inched down during the week of Nov. 11-17, with the ASA Staffing Index decreasing by 0.2% to a rounded value of 89. Staffing jobs were down 11.4% compared with the same week last year, widening the gap by nearly a percentage point from 10.5% the previous week. Staffing companies listed no one primary factor that prevented further growth. New starts fell in the 46th week of the year, decreasing 11.6% from the prior week. Close to half of all staffing companies (45%) reported gains in new assignments week-to-week, equal to this year’s per-week average. Click here to read more.

From Workday: The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) is poised to become the global standard for regulating artificial intelligence (AI). This groundbreaking legislation aims to foster innovation while mitigating the potential risks associated with AI systems. By taking a risk-based approach and prioritizing ethical considerations, the EU AI Act sets a precedent for responsible AI development and deployment worldwide. Click here to read more.

From WorkingNation: A national nonprofit is spearheading an effort to help residents without college degrees in South Florida gain access to jobs and careers in the banking and financial services sector. The initiative is in its early stage in the region, but aims to set up a training and credentialing ecosystem that prepares workers for jobs such as entry-level tellers and customer service representatives. CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning) helps working learners by supporting the creation of education-to-career pathways. The organization’s Build Better Careers is a six-year initiative with funding from the Truist Foundation intended to help 6,000 adult learners in various cities gain upward mobility by providing access to good careers. Click here to read more.

From WorkRise: In the manufacturing industry, intermediaries can be nonprofit, public, or quasi-public organizations whose primary role is to connect smaller manufacturers with financial, network, informational, or other resources to enable strategic transitions. In these case studies, manufacturers—with the help of intermediaries—centered worker collaboration and advanced positive reforms in technological upgrading, business succession, and environmental sustainability. The case studies describe how involvement from these intermediaries encouraged businesses to consider worker involvement as a lever for improving worker mobility and productivity. Click here to read more.

Click here to return to the MAX Mondays main page.

DATA TOOLS

From Atlanta Regional Commission: Each week ARC, in partnership with Neighborhood Nexus, provides updated research and analytics through the 33^on blog. From a look at housing, rental rates, and cost of living to the job market and latest on wages, this blog is a one-stop portal to a treasure trove of local and regional data. Click here to learn more.

From Brookings: Using data from hundreds of thousands of real job transitions, the Job Mobility and Smart Growth Toolkit shows how workers can advance through labor markets—featuring national and city-by-city data on wage levels, local labor demand, and job mobility rankings for 441 occupations, from retail salespeople to cooks to computer programmers. Click here to see the toolkit.

From the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity (CWEO): The Unemployment Claims Monitor displays data from the weekly and monthly unemployment claims reports from the U.S. Department of Labor. It is updated every Thursday. Users will find weekly and monthly data on claims and on who have filed for unemployment insurance, including special unemployment programs like Short-Time Compensation (or Workshare), Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees, Ex-Service Members, and Extended Benefits programs. The Opportunity Occupations Monitor displays opportunity employment and its prevalence across labor markets. Opportunity employment is an estimate of the number and share of jobs accessible to workers without a bachelor’s degree that pays more than the national median wage. Click here to learn more.

From the Georgia Department of Labor: The Georgia Department of Labor provides access to a complete set of data tools for workforce developers to better understand the labor market conditions in Georgia. The portal also includes resources for job seekers and employers. Click here to learn more.

From Georgia Power: Georgia Power’s Community & Economic Development team maintains interactive tools to take a deeper dive into the data on target industries, the labor force, and more. Click here to learn more.

From the National Fund for Workforce Solutions: The National Fund for Workforce Solutions’ Workforce Equity Dashboard provides disaggregated data that uncovers racial gaps in workforce outcomes, identifies opportunities to advance racial equity across systems, and informs high-impact strategies to build a future where employers, workers, and communities prosper. This dashboard was developed in partnership with the National Equity Atlas. Click here to learn more.

From Neighborhood Nexus: Neighborhood Nexus, a data partner of ARC, developed Data Nexus, a powerful tool to find, visualize, analyze, and download community data including demographic, education, health, and economic indicators from state and national sources, all in one place. Click here to learn more.

From the Partnership for Southern Equity: The Metro Atlanta Racial Equity Atlas (MAREA) is designed to offer an immersive, story-centric experience that contextualizes personal narratives with engaging, interactive community data and historical background. This tool has been developed by the Partnership for Southern Equity, Neighborhood Nexus, and archi. Click here to learn more.

From Prosperity Now: The Prosperity Now Scorecard is a comprehensive resource for data on household financial health, racial economic inequality, and policy recommendations to help put everyone in our country on a path to prosperity. Click here to access.

From the Technical College System of Georgia: TCSG’s Data and Research provides access to the System Scorecard, enrollment data, and more. Click here to learn more.

From the University of Georgia, Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG): CVIOG has developed toolkits and other resources on a variety of workforce topics. Click here to learn more.

From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Right now, there are too many jobs without people to fill them. As a result, businesses can’t grow, compete, or thrive. The America Works Data Center captures trends on job openings, labor force participation, quit rates, and more. Click here to learn more.

From WorkSource Georgia: Through its portal, WorkSource Georgia provides access to labor market facts, area profiles, industry profiles, educational profiles, and occupational profiles. Click here to learn more.