CEO’s debate on the great “skilled labor” market gap. Is there truly a gap or is industry just fudging the job description – PB/TK
Talk of a skills gap in the labor market is ‘an incredible cop out’ – By Pedro Nicolaci de Costa / June 18 2017
Heidi Shierholz, former chief economist at the Labor Department, has a great saying when it comes to an alleged “skills gap” in the job market: “If you hear an employer complain they can’t find skilled workers, always ask, at what wage?”
The Business CEO Roundtable has published a report discussing what it says is a shortage of skilled workers in America, and hosted a conference in Washington featuring high profile CEOs, a top aide to Donald Trump and two US senators.
“There are a lot of jobs open,” said Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, during a panel discussion sponsored by the pro-industry lobby. But “there are a lot of people who are not properly trained,” he maintained
But is there really a skills shortage? If so, why have median wages been stuck in a rut for so long? Why aren’t companies investing more in training and labor-saving equipment? Why aren’t they asking workers to work longer hours? It doesn’t add up, says Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a liberal think tank in Washington.
Continue to businessinsider.com article: http://www.businessinsider.com/no-skills-gap-in-labor-market-as-wages-staganant-2017-6
