The political class, as usual, tends to frame major legislative actions in terms of job creation. That’s probably a good thing in many situations. However, currently the U.S. is enjoying a period of near record unemployment, exceptional high job postings and employers aggressively seeking to hire new employees and retain current staff.
In other words, the nation does not have a jobs problem. It has a labor force problem.
This is a challenging environment for managements as they seek to maintain margins, while meeting customer delivery and service expectations. Companies that are best able to attract, train and retain effective employees, are likely to be the most financially successful. Investors take note.
All comments and suggestions are welcome.
Walter J. Kirchberger, CFA