By Zoë Baird
America is in the midst of the biggest economic transformation in the past 100 years. Technology and globalization are fundamentally altering nearly every aspect of our working lives. Americans can see the transformation happening around them, but don’t feel equipped to handle it. There is a clear reason why: our economy is changing, but our labor market isn’t keeping pace.
The impacts of this change are felt by employers and jobseekers alike. Employers struggle to find skilled workers to fill available jobs, while jobseekers find themselves lacking the skills required for today’s available work. This mismatch, or skills gap, is a key reason why so many of our nation’s middle-skill workers continue to feel the strain. The challenge before us is how to make sure everyone has the opportunity to succeed in a rapidly changing 21st century economy.
