Workforce Development Insights

From Accenture: There’s no question that this environment is unbelievably challenging for employees and employers alike, but it also presents an opportunity for leaders who recognize that in turbulent times, culture is more important than ever. Culture can seem intangible, but at its core culture is a group’s shared identity, beliefs, symbols and patterns. It’s what people do, how they do it and why they do it, together. Click here to read more.

From The Annie E. Casey Foundation: While payments and interest on federal student loans were temporarily paused under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020, many Black households are still recovering from the early economic fallout of the pandemic that saw widescale layoffs and decreases in income, according to the report. Even with an improving job market and declining unemployment rates, 43% of Black households continue to struggle to pay their bills. The unemployment rate for Black workers — particularly Black women — is much higher when compared to white workers. Click here to read more.

From The Aspen Institute: Much has changed to make work better since that first Labor Day – because people decided that work could be better. Workers organized to improve their working conditions. Family welfare organizations advocated for an end to child labor. Henry Ford famously doubled his workers’ wages, setting a new industry standard. And importantly, beginning in the 1930s, the nation enacted laws to establish standards for work. Click here to read more.

From Brookings: Emotionally literate teachers can help students develop critical traits like autonomy, trust, intimacy, and identity at different stages in their lives by creating spaces for SEL in their everyday practice. This can support adolescents’ learning outcomes by reducing the consequences of educational inequity in both the short and long term. Click here to read more.

From Center for American Progress: As the U.S. labor market continues its historic and remarkable recovery from the depths of the pandemic-induced recession, the child care workforce stands out in stark contrast, struggling to regain its significant pandemic-related job losses. More than two years after the start of the pandemic, the child care workforce—mostly employing women and, disproportionately, women of color—continues to operate below pre-pandemic levels. This not only harms the sector but also precludes workers with caregiving responsibilities, primarily mothers, from fully participating in the labor force. Click here to read more.

From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: While SNAP benefits have been automatically adjusted each year for food inflation, their purchasing power had not been adjusted since the 1970s for other changes, such evolving dietary recommendations and changes to the economic realities most struggling households face when trying to buy and prepare healthy foods. A large body of research found that, prior to the 2021 TFP revision, SNAP benefits fell well short of what households needed to ensure a healthy diet; many households ran out of benefits before month’s end, which increased their risk of food insecurity. Click here to read more.

From Economic Policy Institute: Jobs report doesn’t show signs of recession as labor market remains strong in August. In August, most jobs were added in education and health services and professional and business services. While govt jobs increased by 7,000 in August, they remain 645,000 below pre-pandemic levels, a concerning phenomenon for those workers and the vital services they provide. Click here to read more.

From the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta: As part of the Atlanta Fed’s commitment to tracking COVID-19 impacts on lower- and moderate-income (LMI) people and communities, our report Navigating a Crisis: An Uneven Recovery for Communities and Organizations in the Southeast found that rental housing instability and efficiently deploying resources such as emergency rental assistance were challenges for communities across the Southeast over the course of the pandemic. In this Partners Update article, we highlight follow-up conversations about one program, the national Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, which is the largest COVID-related initiative that provides cash transfers to tenants or directly to landlords to rectify unpaid rent. Click here to read more.

From Gallup Workplace Insights: When it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, today’s employees want more than press releases and token gestures of support. They want to see real change — systemic and structural changes to the way organizations do business every day. But what does “real change” mean? And how do organizations know when they’ve achieved it? If we want to move the proverbial needle, what is that needle measuring, and what actually moves it? Click here to read more.

From the International Association of Workforce Professionals (IAWP): According to the research, the number one reason for changing jobs during the pandemic was for better work flexibility, beating out both career progression and compensation. Most employees (85%) who have the option would like to work remote or hybrid. However, two-thirds say company leaders expect them in the office at least part-time and 46% of remote workers worry about missing out on career opportunities. Remote employees are equally likely to report being productive as those in the office and respondents shared that they are more engaged and more likely to advocate for their company. In addition, employees who are happy with their remote or hybrid work options are more likely to say they trust their company leaders. Click here to read more.

From Jobs for the Future: Nearly 1 of every 3 working Americans earns less than $15 an hour—many without basic decent working conditions—and the reality for most won’t change anytime soon. The industries with the highest numbers of job openings, such as retail and restaurants, are those with the lowest pay and benefits, so there aren’t a lot of alternatives. But it’s time to do more than bemoan poor job quality. Jobs for the Future (JFF) is developing a Good Jobs Framework that identifies a comprehensive definition of job quality, based on what’s important to workers today, and a new, modern approach to providing the flexibility, autonomy, and stable economic opportunities that individuals deserve and families need. Click here to read more.

From JPMorgan Chase Institute: For every dollar of cancellation received by households in the top 40 percent of the income distribution (more than $76,000), households in the bottom 40 percent (less than $52,000) receive $0.68. This assumes all borrowers between $125,000 and $250,000 in income are dual filers, which our data suggest is true for the vast majority of borrowers in this income range. If we assume instead that all borrowers in this range are single filers, then lower-income households receive $1.22 in cancellation for every dollar received by higher income households. Click here to read more.

From Manpower: No matter the industry, every business around the world is undergoing dramatic changes to the way it operates. From the increasing use of and investment in technology to the rapid transformation in skills needs and development to workplaces going hybrid or fully remote, every organization must adapt or run the risk of being left behind. Talent is no longer constrained and remote teams are powering technological innovations. Flexibility will be the name of the game. Not just for how businesses operate, but for recruiting and retaining talent. Click here to read more.

From McKinsey & Company: Sustainable, inclusive, and profitable growth requires leaders to make an explicit choice, our authors write—and those who choose growth generate 80 percent more shareholder value than their peers over a ten-year period. Beyond creating shareholder value, our research finds that growth attracts talent, fosters innovation, and creates jobs. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE): Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have seen a surge of attention over the past few years, and the “HBCU experience” has been prominently featured on national platforms. While the greatness of the HBCU experience has existed for 185 years, since the founding of the first HBCU—Cheyney University in Pennsylvania—the recent attention has resulted in millions in donations as well as greater interest in recruiting HBCU students by organizations that previously did not engage with our campuses. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Counties (NACO): Workforce development and job training programs provide opportunities for workers to find quality employment by increasing access to education, training and critical support services, while allowing them to obtain the necessary credentials and certifications. Created in 2005 by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP), and designated in September annually by Congress, Workforce Development Month provides a chance for stakeholders to raise awareness about the importance of the industry in ensuring the prosperity of our national economy. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB): The opportunity to inhabit an international perspective is always special, and the chance to mature in that perspective most of all. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland opened the event in Ireland’s native Gaelic tongue; his remarks focused on the current Irish economy and the skills necessary for the workforce. Numerous panels of subject-matter-experts covered the impact of the pandemic on their countries, the issues still emerging amid the recovery, and the long-term lessons they’d learned. This was workforce development on the global scale. Click here to read more.

From the National Conference of State Legislatures: So, yes, you know the first Monday in September means, for most of us, a day off from work and school. (All together, now: Hooray!) And maybe you also know that Labor Day is a tribute to, as the U.S. Department of Labor says, “the contributions American workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.” Click here to read more.
From the National League of Cities (NLC): Equity and transit are two concepts that are not always intuitively linked together, but through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), partnership between the private and public sectors can lead to significant strides towards advancing equity through transit. Mobility is key to economic opportunity. In Orlando, FL residents with a personal vehicle have access to over 520,000 jobs, whereas those using public transit have access to only 5,600 within a 30 minute commute. According to the White House, “communities of color are twice as likely to take public transportation.” Access to transit leads to different outcomes for different racial groups in terms of wealth, health and opportunity. Click here to read more.

From the National Fund for Workforce Solutions: With the national spotlight on workers and the workforce like never before, we have a unique opportunity to push our field forward. This moment calls for new action, bold ideas, and forward-thinking that will move us ever closer to an equitable economy for everyone. We need to SHIFT. Click here to read more.

From the National Skills Coalition: While the IRA does contain funding and energy tax credits to support targeted workforce programs, there is no funding for programs inclusive of those serving youth and adults authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. There is also no funding for strategies NSC’s network identified as critical for supporting infrastructure and energy job creation, including expanding federal financing for high-quality, short-term programs at community and technical colleges; investments in partnerships between industry, educators, and other workforce experts; or supporting worker access to and success in training for jobs for which businesses are and will be hiring. Click here to read more.

From Prosperity Now: The Inflation Reduction Act will help families across the country deal with some of the most pressing issues in their daily lives. Skyrocketing energy prices have been a drain on incomes, and the unprecedented investments in green energy included in the Inflation Reduction Act will help rein in energy costs for families while enabling them to transition to cleaner alternatives. Tax credits and rebates will help households afford green appliances, and investments in green banks will help support sustainable and affordable infrastructure and housing investment. Click here to read more.

From the Roosevelt Institute: From energy to trade policy, there are many difficult administrative policy questions that could impact inflation over the next year. Student debt cancellation is not likely to be one of them. While a recent blog post by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) argues that canceling $10,000 of student debt would “consume nearly ten years of deficit reduction” of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and “wipe out the disinflationary benefits of the IRA,” a quick glance at the evidence shows. Click here to read more.

From the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): U.S. employers added 315,000 new jobs in August, marking the 20th straight month of job growth, according to the latest employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The tally was down from 526,000 jobs added in July, but still a solid showing amidst rising interest rates, fears of a recession and reports of companies pulling back on hiring. The continuous pace of positive job growth is further evidence the economy continues to expand even as the gross domestic product contracted in the first half of the year, meeting the technical criteria for a recession. Click here to read more.

From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: We hear every day from our member companies—of every size and industry, across nearly every state—they’re facing unprecedented challenges trying to find enough workers to fill open jobs. Right now, the latest data shows that we have over 10 million job openings in the U.S.—but only around 6 million unemployed workers. We have a lot of jobs, but not enough workers to fill them. If every unemployed person in the country found a job, we would still have 5 million open jobs. Click here to read more.

From Workforce Monitor: A recent report features a litany of disturbing issues older workers face as they search for gainful employment. It examined the challenges faced by job-displaced older workers, and it highlighted current U.S. labor market programs that reveal a weakness to effectively assist displaced workers. “Recommendations for policymakers for rethinking policies and programs before the next economic downturn” were also provided. Click here to read more.

From Workday: We don’t have to tell you how the world, communities, and businesses changed since the last time we came together for Workday Rising. You went through it. You adapted, pivoted, planned, and replanned for your organizations more times than you can count. As the challenges at work kept coming, you realized you’re more resilient and prepared for the future than you thought. You started to look at challenges as opportunities to innovate, and you made things better than they were before. After years in this rhythm, you weren’t just going through change, you were making it. Click here to read more.

From WorkingNation: Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union three decades ago, despite many missteps, America has retained its position as the world’s foremost power, principally due to its digital leadership and economic gains therefrom. Nearly all the most important digital milestones have taken place here and, not coincidentally, nearly all the biggest digital companies are here, making money off software and data. (China now has digital giants, but only one – Bytedance – spans beyond the Great Firewall.) And at least until recently, global talent flooded into our companies and colleges. Click here to read more.

From WorkRise: The most recent gross domestic product data show a second consecutive quarter of slightly negative economic growth, amplifying fears of a looming recession. Although job growth remains strong and unemployment low (PDF), persistent inflation (PDF) and the prospect of an economic downturn risk undermining low-wage workers’ economic mobility. Mixed signals for the economy and low-wage workers in particular—higher wages but also growing inflation—pose thorny trade-offs for policymakers and raise important questions to be prioritized in future research. Click here to read more.

DATA TOOLS

From the Atlanta Regional Commission: The Atlanta Region Eviction Tracker – a collaboration of ARC, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and Georgia Tech – is updated weekly, though Fulton County’s census tract level counts have been unavailable since September 2020 due to an omission of certain case details provided via the Fulton Magistrate Court public search site. Click here to learn more.

From the Atlanta Regional Commission: Using data from the Georgia Department of Public Health and other sources, ARC has created a regional data dashboard to see the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Atlanta region. Click here to learn more.

From the Atlanta Regional Commission: ARC’s COVID-19 Weekly Report provides the latest data about the state of the novel coronavirus in the Atlanta area. Information comes from the Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Labor Market Explorer, and Google COVID-19 Mobility Reports, among others. Click here to learn more.

From Atlanta Regional Commission: Each week ARC provides an updated research and analytics through the 33^on blog. Click here to see data on impacts to low-income workers and people of color. Click here to see a zip code map of vulnerable jobs. Click here to see data on social distancing. Click here to see data on mobility changes. Click here to see data on mobility patterns by industry. Click here to see a compendium of other data.

From Brookings: The COVID-19 Metro Recovery Watch is aimed at informing local and state recovery strategies from COVID-19’s historic economic impacts in ways that link near-term resilience to longer-term economic transformation, racial equity, and economic inclusion. Click here to review the Metro Recovery Index.

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 Chmura:The COVID-19 Vulnerability Index describes communities most economically at-risk based solely on how a region’s mix of industries is impacted by shutdowns. This information can inform policy decisions about where state and federal aid should be directed to provide maximum support for the broader economy and to protect our most economically vulnerable citizens. Click here to see the index.

From Chmura: Knowing which occupations can be performed remotely—that is, by working from home—is valuable for understanding the future of labor force supply in the post-COVID economy. The Remote Work Index compares the mix of remote-work employment in the region versus the average in the nation. Click here to learn more.

From Emsi: To better understand where and why COVID-19 has spread within the United States, Emsi has developed a Health Risk Index. This index accounts for the key factors that have given the virus a stronger foothold in some regions, while others have been largely spared. Click here to see the index. Click here for information on other COVID-19 data tools.

From Emsi: Track job posting trends by month and compare to 2019 averages through the Job Postings Dashboard. You can also filter by region, industry, company, job, and skill. Click here to see the dashboard. Click here for information on other COVID-19 data tools.

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. Click here to learn more.

From Georgia Power: Georgia Power has created a web page to track Community Key Performance Indicators, a compilation of relevant data from some of the most reliable sources to help track key indicators of COVID-19 and how it is impacting Georgia communities. Click here for data on workforce impacts. Click here to learn more.

From Neighborhood Nexus: Neighborhood Nexus, a data partner of ARC, has developed interactive maps that show the location of Georgia’s most vulnerable people – whether they are vulnerable medically or economically. 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 Surgo Foundation: Every community in the U.S. will be affected by COVID-19 but the impacts will not be the same in each. The COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index identifies which communities may need the most support as coronavirus takes hold. Click here to see the index.

From the University of Georgia, Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG): CVIOG has created a web page to access COVID-19 Economic Data through its Georgiadata.org portal. 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, and thrive. The America Works Data Center captures trends on job openings, labor force participation, quit rates, and more. Click here to learn more.

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