Raising Local Labor Force Participation

Businesses across the country, in communities large and small, have been challenged to find workers since well before the pandemic. As of November 2022, there were about four million more job openings than available workers, equal to about 1.7 open positions for every person looking for a job. 

To help employers with the ongoing labor shortage, economic development organizations (EDOs) are creating strategies to expand the pool of workers in their communities. One common approach is to boost local labor force participation by removing obstacles for people who want to work but face constraints. The latest report from the International Economic Development Council, “Growing Your Workforce: Strategies to Raise Local Labor Force Participation,” explores how EDOs are tackling labor force barriers such as the lack of childcare, transportation, justice involvement, the benefits cliff, and others so that more people can participate in the economy.

Read the complete article from Area Development here.