The U.S. is in the midst of one of the longest economic growth periods in its history. So strong is the job market in fact, that several industries are struggling to fill empty posts. Some of the industries having the toughest time filling openings are listed below.
-The construction industry has been facing a labor shortage for years. Younger workers are not interested in replacing a workforce that is aging even though construction is in an industry that pays well and its jobs often don’t require a college degree.
-The farming industry is also experiencing an acute labor shortage. Few Americans are interested in working farm jobs at the wages they are offered. The federal government does have a guest worker program for agriculture jobs by which foreign nationals can come to the U.S. and work temporarily for a period of up to a year. Many farmers complain that the program is too expensive for them to avail themselves of however.
-There are currently 51,000 unfilled positions in the trucking industry, and that number is expected to rise to 100,000 by 2021 according to USA Today. Younger generations of drivers are reluctant to replace older drivers because of the long hours and the amount of travel associated with the job.
-The nation is currently facing a shortage of 911 dispatchers. Some of the reasons contributing to the shortage in the industry include the lack of resources in some local governments to train and pay workers as well as the unwillingness of some candidates to deal with the stresses of the job.
The unemployment rate is currently at 3.9% in the U.S., the lowest point it’s been in nearly twenty years.
Photo by Sean Worrell via The U.S. Air Force