The labor market tightness has been felt across the United States. But what does it mean when the labor market is “tight”? In this blog, we discuss the tight job market, factors that affect the job market, and how to find workers (and work) when the job market is tight.

Is there really a labor shortage in the trades? Yes, the USA labor shortage is not a myth but a painful reality for many employers. We’ve been discussing it at Skillwork frequently on our blog and podcast, The Skillwork Forum. 

If you’ve been applying for jobs in the trades without any luck, you may consider finding a job through a recruitment agency. But you probably have questions like, “Are employment agencies any good?” and “Are employment agencies worth it?”

How is the job market right now? Not great. What does the job market need right now? More workers. Currently, job openings grossly exceed the number of available workers, and the gap continues to widen. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there were 199,000 job openings in June 2022, which jumped to over 11.2 million just a month later—a 5,528% increase!