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to Tom Talks list Opportunity does knock What could possibly be stranger than fiction? Answer: the news. For example, a number of economists tell us we’re going through a “jobless recovery.” This seems to mean that the economy is perking up but without creating new jobs as in the past. Maybe this makes sense, although it’s confusing. And it certainly doesn’t help anyone who is looking for a job. And there sure are a lot of recent college graduates who find themselves “under employed,” some for extended periods. Yes, they’re working but at a quilt-like array of several part-time jobs. Others move back to live with mom and dad in order to make ends meet. At the same time, the health care picture is quite different. Hospitals, in some parts of the nation are paying big signing bonuses—as high as $30,000—to attract certain types of technicians and other workers. All this doesn’t seem to make much sense, does it? Well, this isn’t the whole story. Throw into the mix a couple of other interesting factoids. Government studies suggest that the picture will be quite different. They tell us that labor shortages are on the way. That’s right—a shortage of workers. In just seven years, there will be 168 million jobs to fill—but only 158 million available workers. In fact, there are predictions that some industries will feel the pressure in a year or two. The Aspen Institute, an organization that studies such matters, reports that the traditional group businesses rely on for their expansion, the US-born 25-54 age group grew by 44% from 1980 to 2000, but over the next 20 years, this group’s growth rate is expected to be zero. Just when we see a gloomy outlook ahead, opportunity is lurking just around the corner. It’s a good lesson, isn’t it? Tom is president of Mosinee Insurance Agency, Inc. 715-693-2100; tomh@mosineeins.com Back to Tom Talks list |
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