Emerging Themes from Workforce Development Month 2021

Workforce Development Month, celebrated each September, focuses on what workers need to be successful in an evolving economy. Lawmakers, researchers, and practitioners acknowledge National Workforce Development Month to help uplift challenges within the industry. Many Americans face barriers in securing and maintaining quality employment, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these challenges. In August 2021, the national unemployment rate remained elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. The number of workers who are long-term unemployed (unemployed for 27 weeks or more) has nearly doubled since August 2020. Black and Hispanic workers and workers with no more than a high school degree are all experiencing higher unemployment rates than the national average. The Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity (CWEO) at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta focuses on workforce development to serve part of our dual mandate to secure maximum employment in the economy. We also hope to be a partner in creating an economy that works for everyone, providing jobs that lead to economic mobility and resilience for workers in the Sixth District and beyond.