High Unemployment, But, Lots Of Job Openings

A curious paradox has emerged in the U.S. as the recession trudges on: Although there are lots of unemployed, they cannot fill the jobs that are opening up in different industries. Turns out lots of industries are looking to hire workers, but they are unable to locate the skills and education needed to fill the positions.

A report from The Washington Post notes:

The dilemma is becoming more common across the country as employers report increasing numbers of job openings. But many of those jobs are not a good fit for those who are out of work.

The reason, economists say, is that the recession accelerated the decline of some industries, such as housing construction, as others that require far different skills, including health care, emerged stronger.

Some economists predict that this disconnect is likely to grow as the economy develops jobs that require more training.

One thing missing from this report is that neither the government nor the private sector has been investing resources into creating the skilled workers the future economy would demand. As elusive as the future is, did no one really see the need for more health care workers as the Baby Boomers were readying to retire en masse? It’s easy to blame the unemployed for this dilemma — “You’re just not qualified” — but how can you call it logical to simultaneously not invest in your future workforce and then crack down on immigration (someone has to fill the jobs since no one is investing in U.S. workers)?