U.S. employers’ need for what is typically considered “middle skilled” workers — those who work construction and manufacturing jobs, for instance — has been dropping for years. And according to Brookings, which analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of these jobs that made up total employment dropped from 39.1 to 36.6 from 2000 to 2013.
Meanwhile, we’ve known for a while that demand is rising for workers in healthcare, high tech manufacturing, and information technology. It’s the kind of work that doesn’t require a PhD but is dependent on special training. These are the new “middle skill” jobs, in other words.
Here’s the problem: Some employers can’t find enough workers to do those jobs.
“Many economists argue that the middle is ‘hollowing out’ as a result of digital technologies and globalization that make it easy for employers to replace workers doing routine tasks,” writes Harry J. Holzer of Brookings. “But many employers argue they can’t fill the middle-skill jobs they have.”
In Maine, changing job trends are particularly evident in the the manufacturing and health care industries. They have an almost inverse relationship to the one they had 30 years ago, according to the Maine Department of Labor.
“In 1982 the 109,000 manufacturing jobs made it the largest sector, accounting for more than one quarter of wage and salary jobs. The 36,000 healthcare jobs comprised less than one tenth of jobs,” the state wrote in this Maine Workforce Outlook paper [PDF link]. “Today the situation is nearly reversed. We have fewer than half as many manufacturing jobs (50,000) and healthcare is now the largest employing sector, with nearly three times as many jobs (101,000).”
Holzer has identified three ways to more create more of these jobs and to produce more workers to fill them.
Spend more money on schools that perform well
Basically: The government should give more money to colleges that have higher completion rates and that produce graduates who earn more.
Expand technical education and apprenticeship programs
Better career and technical education would help give hands-on work experience to the next generation of workers, Holzer said.
Give companies incentive to create better jobs
The government could give better incentives to employers — like tax credits and grants, as well as giving preference in government contracts to companies that have these kinds of jobs, Holzer said. Higher minimum wage, paid leave and “work councils” for non-union companies would also attract and keep workers, he said.
Do you have any ideas? Share them in the comments.
