This descriptive report from Chapin Hall of the University of Chicago depicts the changing characteristics of Chicago’s workforce and the evolving needs of the local economy. Through the use of data from the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey (ACS) from 1970-2009, this report describes Chicago’s population and demographic characteristics; changes in local industries; employment rates and labor force participation; and employment changes among special populations, such as youth and older adults. To provide further context, Chicago’s population, local economy, and labor force are compared to those of other metropolitan areas. This report provides workforce development policymakers and practitioners with information, including: the high employment rates, low educational returns, and wage inequalities for Hispanics; the overlap of predominantly black neighborhoods with areas of high unemployment; Chicago’s strong educational attainment results; the shift in industry from manufacturing to service; and the needs of special populations.

Using data from the Current Population Survey, the Urban Institute published a fact sheet on the Unemployment and Recovery project. Primarily focusing on individuals with education levels of a high school degree or less, the severity and rate at which unemployment is experienced in this population is discussed. Across all industries, the less educated continued to lose their jobs, which was the most prevalent in lower wage industries, including accommodation/food services, agriculture/forestry/fishing, private households, other services except private households, retail trade, arts/entertainment/recreation, administrative, and waste management.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy announced a total of $3,787,000 in continued funding for organizations managing consortia that develop models, provide technical assistance and share best practices to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

From the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, this issue brief discusses how there is currently a gap between the supply and demand of workers in the STEM labor force. As baby boomers are retiring, there is an increase need for jobs in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields to be filled, but too few students in the United States are training for such careers. In this brief, authors argue that career and technical education is an essential component to fill this much needed gap. Additionally, encouraging students to pursue STEM pathways early in their schooling will help students to acquire the preparation essential for positions in these careers.

Over 26 million adults in the United States do not have a high school degree and many of these individuals are classified as low-skilled. Many Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs, designed to provide foundational skills, are failing to place low-skilled students on a trajectory to enter credit-bearing postsecondary programs and earn postsecondary credentials. Accelerating Opportunity: A Breaking through Initiative, seeks to transform ABE programs in the United States to help low-skilled students move along educational pathways and into jobs that pay a living wage. Modeling their efforts after the Washington State Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program, 11 States throughout the U.S. are attempting to substantially increase the number of basic skills students enrolled in career pathway programs that lead to high-quality employment opportunities.

At the end of 2010, the unemployment rate for teens ages 16 to 19 in New York City was 40 percent, and youth aging out of the foster care system were faring even worse in the labor market. From the Center for an Urban Future, this study analyzed the challenges that foster youth face in attaining and maintaining employment once they age out of the foster care system. Authors also looked at protective factors in the foster care and workforce development systems that can help better serve this population, and offer recommendations for program improvement.

The Georgetown University, Center on Education and the Workforce, developed this report which forecasts that by 2018, 63 percent of all jobs will require at least some postsecondary education, which consequently, will require 22 million new workers to have postsecondary degrees. Authors project that we will be short by 3 million.

From the Association for Career and Technical Education, this Issue Brief provides information on how the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) can support innovation in the American workforce. Some examples of careers through STEM disciplines include: GPS Technician, Food and Drug Inspector, Computer Programmer, Logistics Analyst, among many others. Authors provide an overview on how CTE programs can provide students with information regarding STEM career pathways to help grow the STEM workforce and increase the number of students from under represented populations in this field.

The Federal Government’s CAP (Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program) has released the first series of online training modules. This first module is titled, “Increasing Federal Employment of People with Disabilities,” and discusses Executive Orders 13518 and 13548, which are focused on the Federal hiring requirements of veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) offers a variety of programs to help support low-income youth and their families to foster positive youth development and self-sufficiency in adulthood. These programs are designed to prepare at-risk youth for the labor market by promoting job skills. This report, from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, provides a synthesis of the research on at-risk youth and how they are being served by ACF and non-ACF programs to promote future self-sufficiency. Authors review the research and offer future issues to consider for serving this population.