Is the Skills Gap Real? On July 28th, Labor Secretary R. Alexander Acosta announced in his blog that there are about 6 million open jobs in the U.S, and it is estimated that American companies are missing out on nearly USD 250 billion due to these unfilled jobs. This number is large compared to 6.9 … Continue reading
Category Archives: Labor Force
The American Franchise at Risk
On September 13th the House subcommittee on Worker Protection and the subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a congressional joint hearing to consider the Save Local Business Act. The proposed bill seeks to define joint employers as those who have “actual, direct, and immediate control” over employees and to roll back the Obama … Continue reading
Worker Training Programs: Resources for Job Seekers and How the System Could Be More Efficient
WIOA Workforce GPS (GPS) and the Innovation and Opportunity Network (ION) are two virtual components of WIOA that offer different resources, grants, announcements, online training, and personalized accounts to help Americans find employment. The online portals also offer ‘Communities’ and ‘Collections’. According to the information provided on Workforce GPS, “Communities offer you the chance to … Continue reading
WIOA Under President Trump
Introduction The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) supports individuals from sectors across society who are looking for employment, training, or other workforce assistance. WIOA is a federal program implemented by states and it has only been active since July 1, 2016. The program is supported by a bipartisan majority and has been praised by … Continue reading
China / Labor Force / Politics
How Does China Define Labor Relations in Rising Car-Hailing Services?
On June 28, the Chinese Ministry of Transportation issued a new regulation declaring that online car-hailing services in China can operate lawfully, which took effect on Nov. 1. In China, strict governmental rules repeatedly trip up local and foreign internet companies. Before this new regulation, local governments in major cities restricted the registration and use … Continue reading
Immigration’s Real Impact on the Labor Market
Donald Trump’s proposal to build a border wall to seal off Mexico and deport all undocumented immigrants has made immigration a top issue in the 2016 presidential campaign. Unfortunately, much of public policy discourse around immigration stems from misconceptions about how immigration affects wages and employment in the U.S. labor market. The concern that immigrants … Continue reading
How NOT to Help Retirees Get Good Advice
In February of 2015, President Obama called on the Department of Labor (DOL) to update the rules and requirements for retirement advice. The administration stated that its goal would be to end loopholes that allow some advisors to put their own profits ahead of their clients’ best interests. In response to this request, the DOL … Continue reading
