Econintersect: It seems there should be qualified applicants lining up for available jobs in the U.S.
With the total US unemployment rate around 20%, the release of the Empire Manufacturing Survey revealed some unbelievable statistics about the quality of the people who are actually still looking for work!
Within a disappointing Empire Manufacturing Survey are numbers that look at the difficulty employers are experiencing trying to find employees who possess some of the basic job skills required on a day to day basis.
These necessary skills include basic math, basic English and the ability to interact with others.
Why can’t you get to work on time, every day?
While it is disturbing enough that in the United States these basic skills are deficient, how about the statistic indicating that the majority of those employers surveyed are having trouble filling spots with employees who are considered punctual/reliable!
Where did the work ethic among American workers go?
Click to enlarge (Source, NY Fed)
The only area listed which shows as high a difficulty rating as “punctuality/reliability” is “advanced computer skills.” For every category 20% or fewer of employers reported “No Difficulty” in finding satisfactory applicants.