Gone forever are the days of semi-skilled, well-paying,
blue-collar factory jobs that can provide a 19-year-old dropout or high
school graduate with a living wage. Today, counting on a low-skill
manufacturing or service job to keep you in the middle class is as
sensible as buying a BETA tape for a Blue Ray DVD player

According to U.S. Department of Labor
data, 62% of all U.S. jobs in 2010 will require higher
skill levels. While 97 million people will be needed, only 43 million
Americans will have the educational qualifications for these jobs.
Businesses will try to make up the difference by using the failing
talent safety valves discussed earlier. On the other hand, 38% of all
U.S. jobs in 2010 will still be low-pay/low-skill and require 61 million
workers. About 115 million Americans will be competing for these jobs.

The impact of this talent meltdown will probably be greatest on small
and mid-sized companies, with larger corporations merging or leaving
the United States. Large companies will poach the talent they need from
smaller businesses.

Finding professionals and managers has not become much easier during
the recession, and it promises to get even harder as the economy heats
up.

Source: Workforce Trends,
Tuesday Mar 16, 2010