Workforce Development Insights

RECENT ARTICLES

From Accenture: Today, we stand at the next inflection point with the rise of generative and agentic AI. This technology is transforming industries at an unprecedented pace, and in retail, it is reinventing how people shop, how businesses operate and how employees work. The urgency for retailers—and in particular grocers—to adopt AI is paramount, given they generally operate with lower margins in a highly competitive landscape. Any delays could set companies back significantly against their competition. Click here to read more.

From The Annie E. Casey Foundation: A new resource, called Check It Out, aims to prevent students from being forced or encouraged to exit school before graduating. It includes an assessment checklist to determine if students are at risk of being pushed out of school as well as a campaign development guide to help organize outreach and engage the community to enact real change. These tools — designed by Dignity in Schools Campaign (DSC) and funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation — are intended to help support students who are having trouble while also ensuring that other students and teachers can continue to learn in a safe environment. Click here to read more.

From The Aspen Institute: In an economy where the interests and successes of workers and businesses too often seem in opposition, employee ownership offers a solution. Clegg Auto, an auto repair company with locations in and around Provo, Utah, is leading by example. By converting to an employee ownership trust, Clegg Auto lets its workers share in the profits, gives them a say in the workplace, and protects the company’s place in the community. Click here to read more.

From Brookings: The evidence of the cases, together with the evidence presented in our forthcoming paper, strongly support the idea that new developments in AI make it a GPT (general-purpose technology) that will raise productivity over time. We also find that AI will help reduce the cost and increase the productivity of research, making it an invention in the method of invention, leading to faster productivity growth in the future. We are optimistic about the productivity benefits of AI. However, we are also cautious and do not yet know how fast change will take place. Click here to read more.

From Center for American Progress: CAP analysis of federal child care bills over the past decade illustrates an increased focus on the sector as families, children, and the economy overall continue to suffer from the effects of unaffordable and inaccessible child care across the United States. The 118th Congress introduced more child care bills, and more bipartisan child care bills, than ever. However, the time is long-overdue for Congress to pass comprehensive legislation and secure the robust, long-term investments needed to address the child care crisis. Click here to read more.

From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: More than 1.5 million uninsured adults are stuck in the Medicaid “coverage gap,” with no path to affordable health coverage. They have incomes below the federal poverty level (FPL) — too low to qualify for financial help in the ACA marketplaces — yet they don’t qualify for Medicaid because they live in one of the ten states that have not adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion. The remaining non-expansion states should close the coverage gap by adopting Medicaid expansion. For states that continue to refuse to adopt expansion, Congress should close the coverage gap by extending coverage to individuals with low incomes in those states. Click here to read more.

From Economic Policy Institute: Dropping “wage stagnation” as a descriptive term for the full post-1979 period doesn’t mean we think the wage problem for American workers has been solved. Wage growth in the post-1979 period has been slow and unequal, largely as a result of intentional policy decisions. This policy-induced wage suppression has stifled growth in living standards and generated inequality. The last five years saw rapid and welcome progress reversing some of these trends—but it will take a long time to heal the previous damage, even if the post-2019 momentum can be sustained, which looks very unlikely at the moment. Click here to read more.

From FedCommunities: The Small Business Credit Survey (SBCS) is a collaboration of all 12 Federal Reserve Banks and provides timely information about small business conditions to policymakers and service providers. The 2024 survey was fielded from September to November 2024 and reached more than 7,600 small employer firms, collecting information about the performance, challenges, and credit-seeking experiences of businesses across the United States. The 2024 survey finds that many metrics remained stable year over year. Expectations for future revenue and employment growth, recent applications for credit, and the outcomes of those applications mostly held steady. Rising costs of goods, services, and/or wages—the most commonly cited financial challenge in the past three surveys—was again the most prevalent issue. Click here to read more.

From the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta: The Southeast economy continued to grow and employment held steady, while consumer spending dipped slightly, according to the new Beige Book. The Atlanta Fed’s latest report on economic conditions includes anecdotal feedback from January through mid-February. On the labor market front, little changed since the last report: headcounts remained mostly flat and firms’ abilities to hire and retain workers continued to improve. Contacts did observe some emerging risks that center on potential changes to immigration policy, such as increased competition for workers if the labor market tightens. Click here to read more.

From Gallup Workplace Insights: Organizations that focus too narrowly on hours worked — and develop a one-size-fits-all “hours worked” policy — risk missing the mark. Gallup data show that employees of different ages have varying preferences regarding work hours. Some thrive on a steady 9-to-5 schedule, while others prefer a more flexible approach that blends work and personal life. Some may choose to work extra hours to complete a meaningful project or simply because it is their way of excelling at work. Click here to read more.

From the International Association of Workforce Professionals (IAWP): As workforce transformation accelerates, staying competitive means staying ahead of the curve. According to the newly released LinkedIn Skills on the Rise 2025, the skills professionals need to succeed are rapidly evolving. By 2030, 70% of the skills used in today’s jobs will be different. For workforce development leaders, career coaches, HR professionals, and training providers, this data-driven insight is essential for shaping effective upskilling strategies and future-ready programs. Click here to read more.

From Jobs for the Future: Career navigation practitioners are working across U.S. communities to help young people build promising futures and contribute to the economic vitality of our nation. These professionals see firsthand the rapid changes that are taking place among people, education pathways, and jobs. By listening to these frontline professionals, all stakeholders in this ecosystem—education and workforce systems, community-based organizations, policymakers, funders, employers, and more—can advance efforts to enable more young people to access career navigation support that leads to quality jobs—jobs that offer competitive pay, benefits, stability, opportunities for learning and career growth, and a safe, supportive, and engaging work environment. Click here to read more.

From JPMorganChase: Entrepreneurship is a significant driver of economic growth and dynamism, yet recent trends suggest stagnation in some industries. A critical factor contributing to this stagnation may be the burden of health insurance payments, which disproportionately affects small businesses. Our findings highlight the substantial financial pressures faced by small businesses in managing health insurance costs, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding of these challenges and for targeted policy measures or strategic initiatives aimed at supporting their resilience and growth. Click here to learn more.

From Manpower: Used internationally as a bellwether of labor market trends, the Net Employment Outlook – calculated by subtracting the percentage of employers who anticipate reductions to staffing levels from those who plan to hire – now stands at 35%. IT hiring demand remained relatively stable when compared to both the previous quarter and the same period last year, changing by – 2 and +1 percentage points, respectively. Click here to read more.

From McKinsey & Company: AI presents a transformative opportunity for remanufacturers across sectors to unlock new levels of efficiency and profitability. By harnessing the power of data and cutting-edge analytical techniques, companies can overcome long-standing challenges in the remanufacturing process and create significant value. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE): Gen Z professionals are the newest workforce entrants and are shaping the future of the workforce. Their experience has been influenced by the growth of technology and AI, along with the impacts of the pandemic. Understanding the experiences, preferences, and goals of the early career Gen Z professional will help employers craft meaningful experiences that will ultimately enhance productivity and retention and enable career centers to better guide their students, understanding that graduate expectations may shift in some areas as they gain experience in the workplace. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Counties (NACO): The period immediately following incarceration can be challenging for an individual. Justice-impacted individuals can often face barriers such as housing insecurity, inability to access health care and social services, financial strain, food insecurity and challenges to obtaining gainful employment. During this time of instability, a county lifeline can be the difference maker to ensure successful reentry. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB): The House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development hearing held on Wednesday, March 5, Strengthening WIOA: Improving Outcomes for America’s Workforce, addressed such things as the economic costs of not connecting young people to education and/or work, the important role community colleges play in preparing workers for today’s economy, and the critical need for better data to support workforce development efforts. While these are all good aspects of the discussion to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the hearing did not explore all that workforce boards do to meet the needs of business and those trying to enter the labor market. Click here to read more.

From the National Conference of State Legislatures: State legislatures across the country have made significant investments in bolstering the educator pipeline, from increasing learning and development opportunities to boosting compensation. Recognizing the challenging workload that teachers and principals face, lawmakers in some states, such as Connecticut and West Virginia, have recently required reviews of their professional development requirements for educators. The reviews aim to ensure that requirements are necessary, relevant and streamlined to provide for learning needs without overburdening educators. Click here to read more.

From the National League of Cities (NLC): As small business owners deal with rising utility costs, many are looking for ways to reduce energy use while also doing their part to limit strain on local power grids. To enhance energy efficiency, Chick-fil-A, Inc. is working with three restaurants in California to explore innovative ways to incorporate renewable energy into their operations. Click here to read more.

From the National Fund for Workforce Solutions: Human-centered design or “HCD,” is a problem-solving approach rooted in empathy, rationality, and creativity. HCD is anchored on the principle that people who are closest to a problem have unique, indispensable insights in how to solve it. In the workforce, this means it is anchored in the importance of worker voice. The National Fund and our Network Partners continue to grow our expertise in utilizing HCD, having led multiple initiatives over the last few years utilizing the approach to improve job quality, career navigation, and workforce systems. Centering Workers in Job Design is our first initiative that aims to bring these separate threads together while engaging employers and frontline workers in the process. Click here to read more.

From the National Skills Coalition: Industry sector partnerships (ISP) are a proven way to build strong talent pipelines that train workers for quality, in-demand jobs and help businesses address labor shortages. They succeed by bringing together key stakeholders such as businesses, training providers, higher education, community-based organizations, and labor organizations to create training strategies collaboratively. The Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium (MEWDC) shows what’s possible when states and business leaders work together to create and advocate for the growth of ISPs. Click here to read more.

From Prosperity Now: Yesterday’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report shows inflation slowing for the second month in a row. The year-over-year rate eased to 2.4 percent in March, down from 2.8 percent in February, and below the 12-month average of 2.9 percent. While this may signal stabilization on paper, the broader story points to widening gaps in who benefits from economic recovery, and who does not. Click here to read more.

From the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): Artificial intelligence is primed to massively disrupt the way we work, but it also presents a great opportunity for growth. HR will play a key role in this pivotal moment, driving AI adaptation across organizations, empowering workers, and accelerating productivity. Click here to read more.

From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: This study underscores the importance of protecting and promoting strong IP rights to ensure America’s continued economic growth and global competitiveness. By fostering strong IP rights, we can maintain our leadership in global innovation, support local businesses, and enhance the overall economic well-being of American workers and communities. Click here to read more.

From Workforce Monitor: Headline numbers suggest the labor market overachieved expectations in March, with more than 200,000 jobs added. However, notable downward revisions for previous months show job gains were not as solid as initially estimated. Job growth remains concentrated within just a few sectors, most notably health care, due to structural increases in demand for health care services over the long run. Click here to read more.

From Workday: To future-proof the finance function, CFOs must embrace a proactive approach that prioritizes technological integration, data-driven decision-making, and agile operational models. This involves not only keeping pace with technological advancements but also anticipating future trends and preparing the organization for potential disruptions—and embracing them. Click here to read more.

From WorkingNation: Apprenticeships can be a pathway to good careers, but they don’t work for everyone. Research indicates that a main reason some don’t complete their apprenticeship programs is financial difficulties. Jobs for the Future (JFF) has just launched the National Apprentice Fund (NAF) – an initiative to cut that hardship as a means to support Registered Apprenticeship completion. The NAF focuses on growing sectors including health care, technology, education, and advanced manufacturing. The apprentices can use their funds to cover the costs of essentials including tools or equipment, transportation, childcare, and housing. Click here to read more.

From WorkRise: Using data from B Corporation certification assessments, the report compares job quality metrics between certified B Corps—firms that have made social and environmental commitments—and similar non-B Corp firms. The analysis finds that B Corps were more likely to offer benefits such as parental leave, health insurance, flexible scheduling, professional development, and employee feedback mechanisms. It further finds that, conditional on their job quality characteristics, B Corps and comparison firms do not differ significantly on indicators of firm outcomes such as job growth and revenue. These results provide potential insights for policymakers, employers, and other labor market stakeholders seeking to improve job quality to benefit workers, either through voluntary adoption of associated employer practices, or corresponding policy levers related to job quality. Click here to read more.

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 FedCommunities: FedCommunities is offering Using Qualitative Research to Understand the Economy: A Toolkit for researchers, policymakers, employers, and workforce organizations interested in engaging directly with the populations they serve to elevate those populations’ perspectives in policy, programming, and practice. Research that engages communities as equal partners can yield unique, authentic results. This new Worker Voices Project toolkit, “Using Qualitative Research to Understand the Economy: A Toolkit,” offers insights on the community-engaged qualitative research practices used for the Fed’s Worker Voices Project and shows how researchers, policymakers, and workforce organizations might use these methods in their own work. Click here to access 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.

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