Joseph Coombs

SHRM •

Has Full Employment Become Obsolete?

The U.S. unemployment rate of 4.9 percent in January 2016—a level not seen in nearly eight years—has spawned a discussion in the media and among economists on whether we are getting closer to “full employment.” Loosely defined, full employment is an economic condition when all eligible people can find work at prevailing wages, and a time when the number of job seekers nearly matches the number of job openings. It does not assume 0 percent unemployment; historically, the jobless rate for this co
SHRM •

Prevalence of Low-Wage Jobs Could Be Economy’s Next Problem

The argument can be made that, in a period of heightened unemployment, any work is good work. But a new government report on the labor market shows a post-recession prevalence of low-wage, low-skill jobs, and it could present trouble in the future for the U.S. economy. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) annual report on occupational employment and wages showed that most of the 10 biggest U.S. occupations are on the low end of the wage scale.
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