Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Faces Looming Labor Shortage

I saw George Will's commentary, Pittsburgh Seeks to Return to Its Immigrant Roots, on ABC This Week.

Pittsburgh is no longer a "steel city." Its largest employer is the University of Pittsburgh and its medical center.

But like the rest of America, it still needs a steady infusion of immigrants.

However, immigrants go where other immigrants from their country have gone. And when European immigration stopped, Pittsburgh did not become a destination for immigrants from Latin America and Asia.

Americans who complain about immigration do not know what Pittsburgh knows: We still need immigrants. Always will.

Duquesne University's Center for Competitive Workforce Development started the Pittsburgh International Communities Project. From a PittsburghLIVE.com article:

A Duquesne University report released this summer says that as older people retire and fewer young ones are available to take their place, the region may face a shortage of as many as 125,000 workers within a decade, limiting growth and development. The shortage could reach 400,000 in 20 years.

Good to read about policy makers taking the baby bust seriously. Does your employment site reach out to immigrant communities? If not, why not?

U R FIRD

Technology is most liberating when you don't worry about the future.

2500 UK Workers Sacked by Text Message
Australians like to believe we lead the world in all things related to technology, and at least in the bad business department, that seems to be the case.

The most recent example is the cowardly use of SMS text messages to sack staff. I have to wonder if the decision by failed UK personal injury claims litigator, The Accident Group (TAG), to sack its 2500 staff by mobile phone text message (SMS) was inspired by the February 18 sacking by SMS of Australian worker, John Eid. If that was the case, then TAG's directors may have thought that, unlike in the Eid case, no penalty would have to be paid for their actions.

"Its official, you no longer work for JNI Traffic Control and u have forfided any arrangements made," read the message sent to Eid by a director of the company.

Compare that to what TAG staff received in the early hours of the morning according to reports in the British press: "sorry folks im gutted 4 u good luck in ur future careers mike", read the SMS from TAG's regional manager.

TAG's collapse comes a year after the implosion of competitor, Claims Direct, which was attacked for its US chainsaw management style.

Aren't you glad this isn't on your CV?