This Week's Herman Trend Alert

Nail-Painting Robot Coming
to a Salon Near You

 

  The Herman Trend Alert

November 20, 2019

Worldwide Talent Deserts

When I want to write about domestic or offshore labor shortages, my go-to source is Ed Gordon of Imperial Consulting Corp. Most of this Herman Trend Alert is based on data and insights Gordon issued in a recent report.

The statistics are stunning. Worldwide, there are major dislocations between where the talent is and where it is needed.

Talent Deserts by Location
Economists define "full employment" as an unemployment rate between 4.0 and 4.5 percent. Thus, a workforce shortage is defined as unemployment below 4.0 percent. By that definition, 280 of the 389 (72 percent) local markets in the US are in workforce shortage. At the same time, 122 US markets have under 3.0 unemployment which I define as "severe workforce shortage."

Talent Deserts in Europe
However, the US is not the only place in the world where employers cannot find the experienced workers they seek. According to the DIHK Arbeitmarktreport 2018, Germany had 1.2 million vacant jobs, while in 2019, Italy had 200,000. (European Commission 2019) and France had 400,000 vacant jobs (Financial Times, 10-30-19). Moreover, also last month, the Wall Street Journal related that 17 percent of industrial companies in the European Union report a lack of trained workers is limiting production.

Talent Deserts by Occupation
Just as when we wrote the book Impending Crisis (Oakhill press, 2003) 16 years ago, as of September 2019, the National Association of Manufacturers reported a record high of over 500,000 open positions. With all of the natural disasters around the US (and around the world), the demand for construction workers has also never been higher. A survey by the National Association of Home Builders found that over half of contractors had shortages in 12 of the 16 categories.

Complicating Factors for Employers and What is Needed
In the US, approximately 55 million people over age 55 have retired. In September, the Rand Research Report warned that despite technological advances, globalization, and demographic shifts, there has been little change in the education-to-employment pipeline. The result is major shortfalls of workers in many fields. Gordon believes what is needed is a staged transformation into a modern education system at the regional level involving the leadership of major community sectors. In many communities, these programs are already underway. Years ago, Gordon coined the term "Regional Talent Innovation Network" (RETAIN) for these public-private partnerships. Sadly, according to Gordon, they have not yet gained enough traction to have an impact on the overall unemployment situation.

Why is This Labor Market Happening?
While the shortages in Europe are more related to population declines, the challenges in the US relate more to the lack of understanding on the part of government and organizations regarding the need to train and develop staff through the schools, certification programs, and other training opportunities.

What Employers must do Now about These Shortages
As an employer, there are several major steps you need to take now to ensure that you will have the people you need in the future: 1) If you are not already doing so, begin to "grow your own." Offer training to your workers who are willing to make the effort and be sure to reward them when milestones are met; 2) Start scheduling "Stay Interviews" right away. Make sure you know why people work for you and take steps immediately to reinforce their good feelings and handle the issues of dissatisfaction; 3) Engage in Strategic Workforce Planning; think about what your goals are and how you will get there. Then think about who you must have or hire to help you achieve those goals. This situation does not look like it will improve soon; employers who choose to ignore these talent deserts may find themselves unable to recruit the people they need or worse, out of business.

For more information about the data in this Herman Trend Alert, contact Ed Gordon at Imperial Consulting Corp. For more about the specific steps to take internally (the last paragraph of this Alert), contact Joyce Gioia at joyce@hermangroup.com.


© Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurist. 1.336.210.3548 or https://hermangroup.com. To sign up, visit https://HermanTrendAlert.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc."

HEAR JOYCE SPEAK TOMORROW AT 11:30 AM EDT
Tomorrow morning, Joyce will be a Fireside Chat Speakers at the Brightside Business Women Empowerment Virtual Conference where she will talk about how business women can use the insights from her new, groundbreaking book, EXPERIENCE RULES, to be successful. Register for FREE at https://brightsideglobaltrade.org/women.

GET COACHING FOR YOUR PEOPLE FOR LESS THAN $1/DAY!
Gain access to dozens of coaches for the same low price. Find out more by visiting https://ingomu.com/joyceg

JOYCE IS ON THE RADIO EVERYDAY NOW
To listen to Joyce's TV shows on the radio, simply visit RadioFutures.com. Joyce's show is streaming every day at 3:00PM Pacific Time.

To read this Herman Trend Alert on the web: https://hermangroup.com/alert/archive_3-29-2023.html.


Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers.

New subscribers are always welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is read by over 30,000 people in 90 countries, including other websites and printed periodicals. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert.

Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Herman Trend Alert service.


Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert
View this week's Herman Trend Alert
Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


[ Home · About · Products · Resources · Media ]

 

7112 Viridian Lane
Austin, TX 78739
Voice: 336-210-3548
Toll Free in US & Canada: 800-227-3566
E-mail: info@hermangroup.com


  © The Herman Group. All rights reserved.

Web site design by WebEditor Design Services, Inc.