THE SKILLS GAP p 6
OVERVIEW
The U.S. job market is
a paradox. Are there too many workers for the number of available jobs, or not
enough? The answer is both. That's because a widening skills gap has left some
segments of the market short of workers, pushing wages for those jobs up, while
other industries face a glut of workers, driving wages for those jobs down. To
solve this problem, experts say, state governments will have to make a big push
for higher education.
REVIEW
Read the article "Skills Gap" and answer
these questions:
1 Briefly describe past efforts by the federal
government to minimize the nation's skills gap. Why were these efforts so
unsuccessful?
2 What does the latest
strategy to solve the skills-gap problem
entail?
3 What is the
unemployment rate in your state? Find out by visiting the Bureau of Labor
Statistics at www.bls.gov.
WRITING/DISCUSSION
ACTIVITIES
. Studies show that the higher the level of education
a person attains, the greater his earning potential.
What kinds of jobs are
available to someone with a high school diploma? What about a bachelor's
degree? Or a master's? List two jobs for each
category. Is there a correlation between the income and education levels of the
positions you listed?
. Consider the exceptions to the rule. Can you think of
well-paying jobs that don't require high levels of education? What about
careers that require several years of school but don't pay as well? List two
jobs in each category.
. Some people blame offshore outsourcing for the
dearth of low-skill job opportunities. How do you think outsourcing factors
into the paradoxical job market? What about the opposite
trend? Many higher-skilled U.S. workers are taking job opportunities abroad.
How does this affect the market? Visit wsjclassroom.com/related for
links to resources on offshore outsourcing.