To say the current talent market is competitive might be an understatement. Concerns about the skills gap have intensified as the number of open jobs in the United States has grown considerably in the past year and a half. Job openings hovered around 7 million before the COVID-19 pandemic, rose to 9 million by April 2021, and then climbed to 10.9 million by the end of July 2021.1–3 Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has also risen, and many workers have been unable to find new work due to skill misalignment with the available openings, concern for their health, issues with childcare, distance from opportunities, closed border and more.2,4,5 In other words, jobs are opening, the size of the talent pool is shrinking, and the skills that were in-demand pre-pandemic are even more so now.
