Jobs traditionally considered “unskilled” are going unfilled for complex reasons—not for lack of worth, but because of mismatches in training, awareness, compensation, and workforce dynamics. The opportunities are there: better outreach, adjusted hiring requirements, and stronger pathways into training could help fill these roles. Key Insights from Recent Articles 1. Unskilled Labor Shortages in Millions of Jobs As of September 2023, there were 9.5 million job openings in the U.S., while only 6.5 million workers were unemployed, leaving a gap of 3 million unfilled positions—many in sectors like hospitality, retail, construction, and manufacturing . A combination of pandemic effects, declines in immigration, and workers reevaluating job preferences due to health, childcare, or retirement have contributed to fewer available workers for these roles. 2. Manufacturing and Skilled Trade Shortages The manufacturing sector alone faces approximately 400,000 unfill...