Unleashing the potential of the U.S. workforce.

Critical Labor Coalition supports businesses, trade associations and non-profit organizations working to eliminate barriers to entering the workforce in order to solve the critical labor shortage affecting the post-covid U.S. economy

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the labor shortage

the cause

Covid related life choices, health risks, early retirements, family care, restrictive immigration laws and workforce trends have led to a national labor shortage affecting nearly every industry.

the result

The labor shortage is both the result and the cause of further economic strife as business owners across the country struggle to fully staff storefronts.

The Facts

We currently have more job openings than unemployed workers.

There are currently 8.2M open jobs and 7.2M unemployed workers in the U.S. This means that if every unemployed person in the country found a job, we would still have 1 million open jobs.

Although the job market is slowly recovering from the pandemic, the American workplace is changing and millions of workers are not returning to traditional employment. A looming recession, coupled with ongoing inflation and a substantial change in workplace dynamics means that, as the country recovers, employers will continue to face labor shortages for years to come.

Studies show that the service industry has been hit the hardest when it comes to the labor shortage. An increase in virtual and hybrid work opportunities has created a void in demand for positions which require an in-person presence. In fact, the leisure, hospitality and retail industries have the highest quit rates since November 2020, currently at 5.8 percent.[ii]

An increase in retirees[iii], fewer caregiving options,[iv] COVID-related wellness issues[v]and an overall decrease in workforce participation[vi] are just a few factors which have led to today’s critical labor shortage. While employers added an unprecedented 4.5 million jobs in 2022, millions of Americans left the labor force. The result? A critical labor shortage.