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Encyclopedia > Labor shortage

A Labor shortage is an economic condition in which there are insufficient qualified candidates (employees) to fill the market-place demands for employment at any price. This condition is sometimes referred to by Economists as "an insufficiency in the labor force." Shortcut: WP:CU Marking articles for cleanup This page is undergoing a transition to an easier-to-maintain format. ... This Manual of Style has the simple purpose of making things easy to read by following a consistent format — it is a style guide. ... Face-to-face trading interactions among on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor Economics or oeconomics is the study of human choice behaviour. ... The supply and demand model describes how prices vary as a result of a balance between product availability at each price (supply) and the desires of those with purchasing power at each price (demand). ... Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... Paul Samuelson, Nobel Prize in Economics winner. ...

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Measuring the labor force

Techniques for measuring the existence and level of shortages in the labor force of a nation's economy are complex and controversial. Sometimes alleged labor shortages are used to justify the importing of temporary foreign labor (in the U.S., this would mean using the H-1 or L-1 Visa Program to import a foreign worker). Critics of such practices argue that the laws of supply and demand would correct such shortages as more citizens enter a field when wages go up due to the shortage, and that companies lobbying for foreign labor simply want the cheaper or more docile employees. IMF 2005 figures of total GDP of nominal compared to PPP. Absolute, not adjusted for population. ... Foreign farm worker, New York A foreign worker (also: guest worker or economic migrant), is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a citizen. ... An L-1 visa is a visa document used to enter the United States for the purpose of work in L-1 status. ... The supply and demand model describes how prices vary as a result of a balance between product availability at each price (supply) and the desires of those with purchasing power at each price (demand). ...


Wages as a factor in labor shortages

Wage levels have been suggested as one way to measure a labor shortage. However, this often does not match people's common perceptions. For example, if wages alone are the best measure of labor shortages, then that would imply that we should be importing doctors instead of farm workers because doctors are far more expensive than farm workers. However, there are institutionally-imposed limits on the number of doctors that are allowed to be licensed (whether these limits are rational or based upon the selfish interests is subject to debate.) If foreign migrant workers were not allowed into a nation, then farm wages may go up, but probably not enough to approach the wages of doctors. A wage is a compensation which workers receive in exchange for their labor. ...


The Atlantic slave trade (which originated in the early 1600s but ended by the early 1800s) was said to have originated due to perceived shortages of agricultural labour in the Americas (particularly in the American South). The Atlantic slave trade was the kidnapping and purchasing of people in and transport from West Africa and Central Africa, into slavery in the New World. ... World map showing the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... Southern United States The states shown in dark red are usually included in the South, while all or portions of the striped states may or may not be considered part of the Southern United States. ...


Apparent Shortages and Multitudes of Skills

The Programming Wisdom Center has identified a possible conundrum whereby there may be a skills shortage from the employer's perspective but not the employee's perspective. This can happen when many "sub-skills" are involved in the selection process, such as requirements for multiple programming languages and computer tools often found in technical job ads. The phenomenon may account for seemingly contradictory complaints from both large companies and technical professionals regarding visa worker quotas. Visa or VISA has several meanings: Look up visa in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Visa (document) — a document required to enter a specific country. ...


The theory suggests that the more skills that are involved, the higher the gap between primary matches and secondary matches. Combing the globe for candidates allegedly increases the chances of a better match. However, it may reduce the chance of a citizen being hired even though on the average their skills are on par. In other words, having a wider choice reduces the chances of a citizen being the best candidate due to probability field increase alone rather than lack of skills on the citizen's part.


A comparable analogy would be the opening of Jewelry store B next to the existing Jewelry store A. Even though store A may have similar prices and selection, their sales will still likely slide downward. A given customer will now purchase from the new store B half the time. Unless more customers in total come to the area, store A sales will be cut in half.


The solution proposed by proponents of free trade appears to be more and tougher education. However, it appears that education is no longer a comparative advantage of most high-wage countries. Asia, the largest source of educated visa workers, has been keen to be competitive in the education arena, yet offers lower wages when compared to similar employment in Western nations. Also, older workers with family and community responsibilities cannot devote as much effort to new skill acquisition as young and single persons who can make themselves more competitve. Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... In economics, the theory of comparative advantage (sometimes known as Ricardos Law) explains why it can be beneficial for two parties (countries, regions, individuals and so on) to trade, even though one of them may be able to produce every item more cheaply than the other. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ...


Top 10 Fastest Growing Occupations in the U.S.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (which annually publishes the Occupational Outlook Handbook), the following 10 professions are projected to be the "fastest growing" in the U.S. economy through the year 2014 (obviously labor shortages can be expected in some parts of the U.S. in these occupations): The Bureau of Labor Statistics was founded in 1884 by President Chester A. Arthur. ... The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a publication of the United States Department of Labors Bureau of Labor Statistics that includes information about training and education, earnings, job prospects, and working conditions for hundreds of different jobs. ...


Occupation: (Expected growth:)

  • Home health aides (56.0%)
  • Personal and home care aides (41.0%)

Some have questioned the reliability of such government predictions [1]. Further, they may lead to misleading conclusions. For example, to become a software engineer (which is listed as growing), one may first have to start out as a computer programmer. However, programming has been at risk due to offshore outsourcing such that the career path toward software engineer may be bumpy. Systems analysis is the science dealing with analysis of complex, large scale systems and the interactions within those systems. ... Copyright© 1996-2005 AAMA. A medical assistant (MA) is a multi-skilled allied healthcare practitioner who is competent in both a wide variety of clinical and laboratory procedures, as well as many administrative roles. ... In the United States, physician assistants (PAs) are non-physicians licensed to practice medicine with a physicians supervision. ... Software engineering (SE) is the profession concerned with specifying, designing, developing and maintaining software applications by applying technologies and practices from computer science, project management, and other fields. ... Physical therapy can help restore lost functionality in many people. ... A dental hygienist is a licensed dental professional who specializes in preventive care. ... Software engineering (SE) is the profession concerned with specifying, designing, developing and maintaining software applications by applying technologies and practices from computer science, project management, and other fields. ... A dental technician is part of the dental team who fabricates dental appliances dentures, crown and bridgework, removeable prothesis and implants. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...


See also

The supply and demand model describes how prices vary as a result of a balance between product availability at each price (supply) and the desires of those with purchasing power at each price (demand). ... Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... Free trade is one of the most controversial topics of the 20th and 21th century. ... Foreign farm worker, New York A foreign worker (also: guest worker or economic migrant), is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a citizen. ... The workforce is the labour pool in employment. ... Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... An 1837 political cartoon about unemployment in the United States. ... In economics, the term underemployment has at least three different meanings. ... An L-1 visa is a visa document used to enter the United States for the purpose of work in L-1 status. ... The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a publication of the United States Department of Labors Bureau of Labor Statistics that includes information about training and education, earnings, job prospects, and working conditions for hundreds of different jobs. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Preparing for a Future Labor Shortage - Graziadio Business Report (2548 words)
A systemic labor shortage occurs when the overall number of new job openings exceeds the number of qualified new entrants in a national economy for a sustained period of years.
According to the Employment Policy Foundation (EPF), a systemic labor shortage is expected to transform the workplace over the next 25 to 30 years as the gap between baby boomers and entrants of college-educated workers widens due to the boomers’ mass retirements.
In a systemic shortage cycle that is expected to last over the next 30 years, managers faced with skilled labor shortages in their industries are encouraged to take actions that put them ahead of the shortage cycle.
U.S. IMMIGRATION: RECRUITING INTERNATIONAL TALENT (Law Offices of Carl Shusterman) (2807 words)
The development of an international labor pool means that the most unique and talented professionals born in one country, may be educated and trained in another, and employed wherever their skills are most in demand.
The application (Department of Labor form ETA 750) consists of two parts: Part A which describes the job offered, the minimum job requirements, and the salary, and Part B which describes the experience and education of the worker being applied for.
Shortage occupations are listed on the Labor Department's "Schedule A, Group I." At present, Group I lists only two "precertified" occupations: registered nurses and physical therapists, thus relieving hospitals and other health-care providers of the labor certification burden in hiring individuals in these occupations.
  More results at FactBites »

 

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