News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Local business owners voiced concerns of labor participation to their political leaders at a business forum at the White County Courthouse Friday.
Congressman John Rose as well as State Senator Paul Bailey and Workforce Development Commissioner Jeff McCord hosted the event. Rose said the discussion made it clear that businesses are struggling to hire.
“From the employers largely a crowd of business owners and employers here is the struggle that they are facing of getting workers to do the jobs that they have and keep the economy going,” Rose said.
Questions of unemployment benefit changes and hiring strategies arose during the open discussion. McCord said the answer is creating pipelines for untapped demographics to fill those roles.
McCord said the best way to do this is to create strategies for hiring and apprenticeship programs. McCord said people to target are returning military men, adult learners, high school students and incarcerated people returning to the workforce. McCord said he recommends business owners to contact their local workforce office for advice.
According to Bailey, about 4,500 jobs are available in Tennessee. As Governor Lee’s removal of pandemic unemployment relief approaches in July, workforce development expects that number to decline.
