Unemployment and the “Skills Mismatch” Story: Overblown and Unpersuasive

[ksen]

http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2014/07/29-skills-mismatch-overblown-burtless

It is cheap for employers to claim qualified workers are in short supply. It is a bit more expensive for them to do something to boost supply. Unless managers have forgotten everything they learned in Econ 101, they should recognize that one way to fill a vacancy is to offer qualified job seekers a compelling reason to take the job. Higher pay, better benefits, and more accommodating work hours are usually good reasons for job applicants to prefer one employment offer over another. When employers are unwilling to offer better compensation to fill their skill needs, it is reasonable to ask how urgently those skills are really needed.

So basically employers that are crying about a skills shortage are lying out their ass.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2014/07/29-skills-mismatch-overblown-burtless

It is cheap for employers to claim qualified workers are in short supply. It is a bit more expensive for them to do something to boost supply. Unless managers have forgotten everything they learned in Econ 101, they should recognize that one way to fill a vacancy is to offer qualified job seekers a compelling reason to take the job. Higher pay, better benefits, and more accommodating work hours are usually good reasons for job applicants to prefer one employment offer over another. When employers are unwilling to offer better compensation to fill their skill needs, it is reasonable to ask how urgently those skills are really needed.

So basically employers that are crying about a skills shortage are lying out their ass.

The real problem is they are insisting on exact matches between the skills the worker has and the position--necessary when you're just hiring for the short term anyway but it means it's hard to find qualified workers.

Compound that with some of the jokes I've seen in terms of salary (they're obviously targeting the desperate) and it's no wonder they have problems.

 

[coloradoatheist]

http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2014/07/29-skills-mismatch-overblown-burtless

It is cheap for employers to claim qualified workers are in short supply. It is a bit more expensive for them to do something to boost supply. Unless managers have forgotten everything they learned in Econ 101, they should recognize that one way to fill a vacancy is to offer qualified job seekers a compelling reason to take the job. Higher pay, better benefits, and more accommodating work hours are usually good reasons for job applicants to prefer one employment offer over another. When employers are unwilling to offer better compensation to fill their skill needs, it is reasonable to ask how urgently those skills are really needed.

So basically employers that are crying about a skills shortage are lying out their ass.

I'm curious on whatever method they use to say that employers aren't finding the right skills, do they follow up with finding out what skills they are looking for and how they are trying to find those skills? Or is it just a general survey?

If those positions are necessary, they'll find a way to fill them.

 

[laughing dog]

The problem is those employers cannot attract the employees with the desired skills at the compensation they are offering.

 

[ksen]

B-b-but LD, these employers are offering the market wage. How can that possibly be too low?

 

[coloradoatheist]

The problem is those employers cannot attract the employees with the desired skills at the compensation they are offering.

So the follow up again is what are they looking for.

 

[ksen]

The problem is those employers cannot attract the employees with the desired skills at the compensation they are offering.

So the follow up again is what are they looking for.

Golden skills at dirt prices.

 

[coloradoatheist]

So the follow up again is what are they looking for.

Golden skills at dirt prices.

I'm not arguing that, but there needs to be more information. What skills are they looking for?

 

[ksen]

One of the links in the OP story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...tory-workers/2012/02/17/gIQAo0MLOR_story.html

Some specific skills are mentioned in that story.

 

[Shadowy Man]

One of the links in the OP story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...tory-workers/2012/02/17/gIQAo0MLOR_story.html

Some specific skills are mentioned in that story.

For example, knowing how to program a CNC milling machine, the presence of which has resulted in the job loss of human machinists. The article mentions a former tow truck driver who took courses at a community college and now can program a CNC machine. So, it's possible for people to obtain these skills. I would also imagine that those who were machinists would be good candidates for CNC machine operators, assuming that they can learn the coding language.

 

[Shadowy Man]

The problem is those employers cannot attract the employees with the desired skills at the compensation they are offering.

Quote from the article:

"The shortage of skilled workers has also pushed up wages, though executives said raising them too far could push more work to overseas plants."

Whether or not there's room for the higher wages in their profit margin the article does not mention.

 

[coloradoatheist]

One of the links in the OP story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...tory-workers/2012/02/17/gIQAo0MLOR_story.html

Some specific skills are mentioned in that story.

That definitely would be a difference in skills sets of what people have and what the companies need and how fast the educational providers can recognize the need and get people trained for that.

 

[laughing dog]

The problem is those employers cannot attract the employees with the desired skills at the compensation they are offering.

Quote from the article:

"The shortage of skilled workers has also pushed up wages, though executives said raising them too far could push more work to overseas plants."

Whether or not there's room for the higher wages in their profit margin the article does not mention.

Whatever the profit margin is, I know it is zero on the output that is foregone with the lack of employees.

 

[Lumpenproletariat]

#10


Shadowy Man

For example, knowing how to program a CNC milling machine, the presence of which has resulted in the job loss of human machinists. The article mentions a former tow truck driver who took courses at a community college and now can program a CNC machine. So, it's possible for people to obtain these skills. I would also imagine that those who were machinists would be good candidates for CNC machine operators, assuming that they can learn the coding language.

Yeah? What are they going to do with that programmer when he gets replaced by a computer that programs the machine without him?

No, the only solution is to "create jobs" by smashing all these machines and computers and putting humans back into all those jobs so they can have "dignity" and "self-respect" instead of having their jobs outsourced to these alien machines and being treated as though they are just a means to an end.

"People before profits!"

"jobs! jobs! jobs! jobs! jobs! jobs! jobs! jobs!"