Employers Must Build Training Pathways to Fill Millions of Vacant Jobs
The author argues that the United States’ job shortage stems from hiring strategies, not a lack of workers, and urges companies to create paid training programs.
A new JOLTS report reveals 7.4 million job openings, including 1.2 million in core sectors such as manufacturing and construction and 1.35 million in healthcare. The article attributes this gap to employers insisting on ideal degrees and experience rather than a true labor shortage. It highlights past successes, like Springfield Armory’s wartime training of women, and current initiatives such as Constellium’s partnership with the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, which has placed 35 students and retained 90 % of them, and Project SEARCH’s model for adults with disabilities, achieving a 72 % employment rate.
Data from ADP show higher wage gains for workers who change jobs, underscoring the value of better matches. The author urges businesses to redesign hiring, eliminate unnecessary credential requirements, and fund paid learning pathways, arguing that such actions will boost productivity, wages, and overall economic growth.
Why it matters
Closing the skills gap through employer-driven training can reduce vacancies, raise wages, and sustain economic expansion.
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