#workforce shortage

[didanawisgi]

“A new Virginia Commonwealth University study suggests healthcare workforce shortages are worse than expected and will likely continue to worsen into the future.

The study suggests the number of active primary care physicians in Virginia is about 25% smaller than originally expected. That study looked at data from 2015-2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. About 5,899 primary care physicians were counted in the study....”

[intelligentchristianlady]

Why We Actually Need Immigrants

The U.S. will face a shortage of six million workers by 2032 due, in part, to mismatches between workers and jobs, and the decline in workforce participation among men. According to the study, without increased immigration, working-age people will start to disappear from the labor force, leaving the U.S. unable to sustain its workforce with U.S.-born workers. (From Bloomberg, behind a paywall; cited here)

[tiktaalic]

The good thing about stem. Is that. The job interview are like. So you have your degree? Cool. You can start next month? Cool. I’ll poke HR and you’ll start getting paperwork soon.

[castielsupernatural]

well i just found and made an appointment to see a primary care doctor with my big girl health insurance and i never even cried the whole time

[jasoncanty01]

U.S. Productivity has been almost non stop rise since 1946/47 And the Rich have been working us to death for that productivity, and low-key not so low-key saying people can be replaced by robots, and actively shipping jobs to lower wadge and lower safety standard nations for decades... AND yet a 3 year pandemic kills a 1 Million people and perma-sick several 10's of thousands, and even more are just tired of working for jobs that drain the life out of them so they DO move to something better, and business owners and economists are scratching their head wondering WHY? Huh. Maybe they can make that productivity gap up with all the robots to take our jobs like they've been saying for years. Oh wait those robots are not yet fully operational, and even then still need human oversight and even some jobs machines still can't do YET. Interesting is the Bank of England is saying the obvious part but a bit quietly.

[indizombie]

Staff shortages mean longer waiting lists. Yet despite repeated promises from the Welsh Government we still don't have a funded national workforce plan for health and social care – or, indeed, any idea of when it will be published. These delays are making a difficult situation worse: without up-to-date vacancy data we simply don't know the scale of the problems facing us. Anecdotally we know that health and care staff are overwhelmed and at risk of burnout and, what's worse, we're flying blind without the information we need to plan ahead.

Dr Olwen Williams, vice-president for Wales at the Royal College of Physicians

[nnctales]

The Growing Need for Labor in the Construction Industry

The construction industry is facing an unprecedented labor shortage, creating a growing need for skilled workers. This demand is driven by several factors, including an aging workforce, increased infrastructure spending, and the evolving landscape of construction projects. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for addressing the challenges and ensuring the industry’s future growth. The Aging…

[wausaupilot]

Wisconsin continues to struggle with retaining teachers, according to DPI report

Wisconsin public schools are dealing with an ongoing teacher retention problem with almost 40% of teachers leaving within their first six years in the field, according to a new report by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

by Baylor Spears, Wisconsin Examiner April 11, 2024 Wisconsin public schools are dealing with an ongoing teacher retention problem with almost 40% of teachers leaving within their first six years in the field, according to a new report by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). DPI Superintendent Jill Underly and public school advocates said at a press conference Thursday that inadequate…

[thelonesgroup]

The Real Remodeling Timeline

As interest rates continue to cause gridlock, several of the agents in my ENCORE coaching group have indicated that would-be sellers on their potential client list are considering sticking with their low interest rate mortgage and are choosing to explore remodeling instead.

From what I can see, one industry that has it worse than the real estate industry when it comes to gridlock is the residential construction industry.

Builders are currently stymied by:

Interest rates (on their own projects)

Labor shortages in both their own companies as well as other companies they may sub out to

Materials shortages

Permitting timelines

Changes in the code

Environmental requirements (revisions to the energy code, stormwater, tree removal, etcetera)

All of these issues cause builder gridlock. Let's take a deeper dive into the realities of remodeling right now:

Professional Workforce

The Great Recession of 2008 caused a number of builders and subcontractors to leave the industry. Couple this exodus with decades of institutional focus on four-year degree careers and the result is a population that has been choosing different career paths. Now, when we need them most, we are short builders, plumbers, electricians, building systems engineers, concrete professionals, engineers, planners, estimators, geo-tech consultants, and other professionals who drive the industry.

This is a problem that doesn't have a quick fix. According to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment is currently 3.8%. So, we don't even have other industries that are in trouble whose employees can quickly pivot and be retrained for construction. Our other workforce source is young people who might be interested in receiving training in one of these fields. Although enrollment in colleges has dropped off since the pandemic, according to Business Insider, trade program enrollment is up 19.3%. That is great news for the future of the construction industry, but we still have a long way to go before our construction workforce numbers turn around.

The challenge we are seeing in terms of boots on the ground is there are too many job openings. Our trades are operating with a skeleton staff. That makes scheduling a much bigger challenge. It only takes one or two crew members out due to illness to have a big impact on project timeline.

In short, today's lack of professionals is making it more difficult, and expensive, to remodel.

Delays in Planning

The challenge with lack of professionals extends to planning jobs too. Architects, engineers, land use specialists, and others are in high-demand. In some areas, there is a downright bottleneck. The Survey of Architectural Registration Boards recorded a 1% decline of licensed architects from 2021 to 2022. While they also noted a 9% increase in candidates working towards licensure, this is a multi-year process that doesn't solve today's issues. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also noted that the need for professionals in this profession will be stronger than general employment in the coming years.

Beyond employment shortages, there are more layers to project planning today and more milestones needed just in the planning process. Depending on the area, building an addition on a home might require not only blueprints of the structure, but also an energy efficiency review of the rest of the building, an evaluation of the site, evaluation of the structure in terms of fire code, parking analysis, emergency vehicle access, stormwater analysis, and possibly even a critical areas analysis.

Lack of planning professionals coupled with additional requirements are also making it more difficult, and expensive, to remodel.

Permit Challenges

The same issues that plague the professional and planning side of the industry are also hitting local permitting offices. According to Building Industry Association of Washington, the average permitting timeline noted in February of 2022 was 6.5 months, a delay that added approximately $22,000 to the price of a new home. The worst timeframe noted was Thurston County with 17.79 months.

The challenges with permitting are not limited to personnel, although that is a big driver of the delays. Other permitting process issues are problematic where there is too much redundancy and other bottlenecks in the process.

Local legislature isn't ignorant of the issue. Here in Washington State, there is hope that Senate Bill 5290 will provide structure, accountability, and solutions when it comes to permitting, but this will also take time to implement.

Meanwhile, challenges with permitting will continue to make it more difficult, and expensive, to remodel.

Be the professional that keeps potential clients informed of market change and let our experienced team take care of it for you - with LeadMagnet! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Time is Money

Addressing remodeling timeline issues are one thing, but timeline issues can mean big money headaches when coupled with inflation. Although inflation is back into target range overall, specific item prices can still increase significantly between initial planning and placing the order.

The other timeline issue that hasn't be addressed is the lengthier period of disruption. If an addition that would take 4 months a few years ago could take 8 months or more now, are your clients up for that amount of disruption to their household?

In conclusion, if your clients say they have decided to remodel rather than move due to the additional cost due to interest rates, don't just smile and say, "OK, whatever you decide." Learn about what is happening with construction in your area and give them a reality check.

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By Denise Lones CSP, M.I.R.M., CDEI - The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones, brings nearly three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

[ranjith11]

Quality Control for offshore staff | Future Accounts Proof

Welcome to an enlightening journey into the world of offshore excellence! In this video, we unravel the significant role of quality control for offshore staff in shaping a thriving future. With a keen focus on future accounts proof, we delve into strategies and insights that pave the way for seamless offshore operations. Join us as we explore how quality control acts as the linchpin in harnessing success and efficiency among offshore teams. Discover the core tenets that empower offshore staff to be future-ready and deliver exceptional outcomes in the dynamic landscape of tomorrow.

[digitalyogii]

Technology salaries remain relatively stable due to persistent skill shortages.

In 2023, the impact of the digital skills shortage on New Zealand’s tech landscape is significant, as revealed in the latest Tech Alliance digital skills report. As per the report, an overwhelming 96 percent of IT employers in New Zealand anticipate this persistent skills gap to affect their operations throughout the year. Out of the 159 organizations participating in the third New Zealand…

[voxpeople]

In Short: Deceased Should Be Encouraged to Re-Enter the Workforce

The government should consider plans to coax deceased people back into jobs to boost the economy, as part of what is being dubbed "life MoT", which would assess finances and opportunities for work for those who have died and those close to death.

It follows a recent House of Lords committee finding that deaths among the population is a chief cause of labour shortages.

[chronicbitchsyndrome]

so... i'm seeing a lot of activism (like, actual activism, not just tumblr posts--letters & scripts to us senators, for example, copy written for press, etc) focusing on improving ventilation & filtration as primarily an access issue for immunocompromised people. basically, presenting the argument as "this is in service of this demographic, who is blocked from public access currently."

this is like. true. of course. it is the main reason i want clean air and i think it is the most pressing reason overall for it. but i think it's the wrong tack for building a clean air movement and getting legislation passed.

like, unfortunately, the vast majority of people in power--and of americans in general, tbh--are not immunocompromised and do not have immunocompromised roommates or family members. should you have to have this experience to understand that public access is a big fucking deal for, like, staying alive? no! you shouldn't! but most people straight up will not understand whatsoever unless they have personal experience with immune compromisation.

trying to change hearts and minds to have cognitive sympathy for disabled people takes a long time, decades' worth of work to just change a handful of people; meanwhile, getting legislation passed is 1) imminently important, 2) while still a lengthy process, takes significantly less time if it doesn't hinge on first converting the majority of the population to have sympathy for a marginalized demographic they have no contact with (and yes, they have no contact with us because we are barred from public access to begin with, again, i am aware of how fucked up this is).

here's some arguments for passing clean air legislation that are designed to appeal to a normative, conservative-leaning crowd:

air filtration is a public health and sanitation baseline just like running water. we provide clean water to drink and wash our hands in as a baseline for public life; we should also be providing clean air to breathe similarly.

improved ventilation and filtration in schools results in less sick days for students, meaning better attendance and less time off work for parents.

improved ventilation and filtration in the workplace results in workers taking less sick days. it also makes it less troublesome when a coworker comes in sick; it's less likely you will have to take sick leave as a result.

improved ventilation and filtration in hospitals, doctors' offices, etc, helps combat the health care worker shortage by reducing the amount of sick leave health care workers need. it additionally makes hospitals safer overall; for example, it makes it safer for cancer patients to be in the same building with patients with highly infectious airborne illnesses such as chickenpox.

improved ventilation and filtration in public buildings at large could improve the economy, as less workers stay home, more people enter the workforce, more people begin attending public businesses like bars and venues, etc.

if government programs to upgrade ventilation and filtration are created, this could create jobs for blue-collar workers, further improving the economy.

the last note i have is that, as much as this sucks shit, don't mention covid as much as you can avoid it. covid has become a massive culture war thing in the usa and as soon as you bring it up, the entire discussion becomes about virtue-signaling and showing in-group affinity--it doesn't matter what you're saying about covid, anyone who thinks "covid is over" will immediately shut down and become incapable of listening to anything else you have to say. and unfortunately, a majority of the population does, in fact, think covid is an irrelevant concern even for immunocompromised people in 2024.

importantly, all general air sanitation improvements will improve the covid situation significantly. in this context, you do not have to talk about covid in order to make real, material changes limiting the spread of covid. system-level changes that limit the spread of things like the flu and chickenpox are equally effective in limiting the spread of covid. take advantage of that!

[uicscience]

The National Center for Rural Health Professions at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine Rockford will receive nearly $6.5 million over the next five years to fund the Illinois Area Health Education Centers Network program.

The network includes nine centers throughout the state in rural areas and Chicago, with the program based in Rockford, Illinois, at the College of Medicine and led by Hana Hinkle, research assistant professor of family and community medicine, who serves as director of the network.

The network seeks to address the critical health workforce needs in rural and underserved communities in Illinois by providing access to training and education opportunities for anyone interested in pursuing health careers in the state’s most affected communities. Read more.