In the United States, the number of unemployed and number of open jobs has remained above 6 million since June 2017. Most recently in September 2017, the United States had 6.8 million unemployed people while there were 6.2 million open jobs. Thus, it is evident that the current problem is not unemployment but a “broken … Continue reading
Category Archives: Labor Force
Is the Skills Gap Real?
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
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
Proposed Overtime Rule: Overestimated Benefits Fail to Justify Costs
This past summer, the Department of Labor (DOL) unveiled a proposed rule that could provide almost five million new workers with overtime protections. Currently, overtime regulations apply only to those earning $455 or lower weekly. If implemented, this new rule would increase the salary threshold up to $970 a week. This threshold is equivalent to … Continue reading
Labor Force / Politics / Tax
EITC: Improvement Not Disruption
For years, there has been concern over stagnant wages, unemployment, and the persistence of poverty across the United States. Many different remedies have been proposed, and at times implemented, in an effort to improve the U.S. labor market. One of the solutions most vehemently advocated for is the increase of the minimum wage, both on … Continue reading
