State of the Workforce: Uncovering Ohio's "Hidden" Workforce

Can “hidden workers” help alleviate Ohio’s current workforce woes? Ohio’s rock-bottom unemployment rate of 3.3% – lower even than the national average of 3.5% – is forcing employers to get creative in finding and hiring a workforce needed to keep the state’s hot economy cooking. According to a recent Dayton Daily News report, Ohio has an enviable challenge: two job openings for every unemployed worker. So-called “hidden workers” might be part of a solution that’s good for employers and great for workers.

According to the Harvard Business Review, “hidden workers” may be formerly incarcerated individuals looking for a fresh start, workers facing disability challenges, older workers ready to return to the workforce, caregivers whose attention is also needed at home to provide childcare or eldercare, skilled immigrants lacking U.S. credentials, and returning veterans ready to contribute. They’re a workforce eager to jump into the labor pool, yet many find themselves blocked by balky application processes, inflexible schedules, poor transportation, language struggles, and a host of other barriers.

How can Central Ohio businesses open the employment door to “hidden” workers ready to re-join the state’s workforce? Join us for an in-depth conversation with an expert panel, including the American Enterprise Institute’s Brent Orell, nominated by President George W. Bush to lead the Employment and Training Administration of the US Department of Labor, as well as Lisa Patt-McDaniel, CEO, Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio, with host Archie Williamson, Founder and CEO, Diversified Systems, Inc.