US Chamber Launches America Works, an ‘Operation: Warp Speed for Jobs’ to Address Worker Shortage

Article provided by the US Chamber.

We need an “Operation: Warp Speed for jobs” to ensure America experiences a great economic resurgence.
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Today, the Chamber launched America Works, a new initiative to address the worker shortage business owners across the country and across industries are facing.

Why it matters: Coming out of the pandemic, we’ve heard from business owners all across the country who said, instead of opening up, they are scaling back their operations because they can’t find enough employees.
Data show the worker shortage is holding back America’s economic recovery:

• There are now half as many available workers for every open job across the country (1.4 available workers per opening) as there have been on average over the past 20 years (2.8).
• In several states and industries—especially hard-hit sectors like education and health services as well as professional and business services—there are currently fewer job seekers than the total number of jobs open. 
• 91% of state and local chambers of commerce say worker shortages are holding back their economies. 83% of industry association economists say employers in their sectors are finding it more difficult to fill jobs than they were five years ago.

What we’re doing: The Chamber is advocating for—and rallying the business community to push for—federal and state policy changes that will help train more Americans for in-demand jobs, remove barriers to work, and double the number of visas available for legal immigrants.

• The U.S. Chamber Foundation is expanding its most impactful employer-led workforce and job training programs and launching new efforts to connect employers to undiscovered talent.

What you can do:

• Tell Congress to pass the America Works Agenda.
• Tell Congress to increase employment-based immigration and visas.
• Tell your governor to invest in job training and childcare.
• Be heard by taking part in a Day of Action tomorrow on social media.

Our take: “The worker shortage is real—and it’s getting worse by the day,” Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark said. “American businesses of every size, across every industry, in every state are reporting unprecedented challenges filling open jobs. The worker shortage is a national economic emergency, and it poses an imminent threat to our fragile recovery and America’s great resurgence.”
Dig deeper:

• Visit the America Works homepage
• View the America Works policy agenda

Download the America Works research report