While the U.S. economy added fewer new jobs in December than expected, there is evidence that the economic expansion that began in 2009 will continue into 2018.
Still, the number of new jobs added would be more impressive if not for the growing mismatch between the skills American employers need and the skills American workers have.Genesis10 CEO Harley Lippman addressed the job numbers in a VOA news story, US Economy Ends Year with Modest Gains.
In it, Lippman said that there are hundreds of thousands of IT positions not being filled and he points to the financial crisis of 2008 as a reason. The financial crisis, he explained, put increased pressure on companies to cut costs.
“Training programs went out the door after the Great Recession and companies are reluctant to bring them back,” Lippman said. “This will have to be addressed one way or another.”
As a solution, Lippman suggested lawmakers create incentives to train workers. Meanwhile, he said that the search to find adequately trained workers will become more acute as the pool of available workers continues to shrink.
Voice of America (VOA) is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, providing news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 236.8 million people.
Harley’s leadership extends beyond business. He serves on the boards of leading business, academic, and policy institutions. His appointments include the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Partnership for Peace Advisory Board, where he helps advance efforts to foster trust and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians. He has also served, by presidential appointment and Senate confirmation, on the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad under multiple administrations.
He sits on the boards or advisory councils of Yale University’s School of Management, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, the Brookings Institution, The Washington Institute, the Middle East Forum, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), where he serves on the Political Leadership Council and Executive Committee.
Previously, Harley served as public director of the New York Mercantile Exchange and held leadership positions with the American Jewish Congress and the America-Israel Friendship League.
A committed philanthropist, Harley is the sole financial supporter of an orphanage in Cambodia, where he has helped dozens of children access education and opportunity, including funding college tuition for many. He has also led efforts to identify and memorialize unmarked Holocaust mass graves in Eastern Europe, helping preserve the memory of those lost. His documentary, Safeguarding Memory, aired on PBS and received two awards for its impact and storytelling.
Harley continues to combine business leadership with civic responsibility, making lasting contributions to the fields of technology, education, diplomacy, and remembrance.