Stars Not Aligned for Job Openings and Skills

– The Wall Street Journal 

Unemployment dropped last month to its lowest level since 2001, yet wage growth is below levels of previous economic expansions and underemployment remains high. These dissonant readings point to an increasing mismatch between workers’ skills and the roles employers are seeking to fill, a conflict measured by the Beveridge curve, which tracks the relationship between unemployment and job vacancies. The curve shows that the workforce isn’t entirely satisfying the need for skills that have become more important in the post-recession economy.

 

City vs. State: The Story So Far

– City Lab

The political fault line between progressive cities in conservative states continues to grow on a variety of issues. From minimum wage to immigration, states have been taking aggressive action to stamp out local laws that they disagree with. As cities flex their muscles in opposition to President Trump’s policies on everything from climate change to economic development, they face a serious obstacle: sweeping state efforts to preempt their authority.

 

How Amazon Can Position Itself as the Pharmacy of the Future

– The Health Care Blog

We know Amazon has a knack for disruption — over the years it has upended countless brick and mortar players in the retail industry. The e-commerce behemoth may be at it again, making headlines for its interest in breaking into the pharmacy market in the United States. But delivery of prescription medications to the home already exists for patients with chronic and even acute conditions, while patient portals already give patients online access to payments and prescription refills. So how might we expect Amazon to set itself apart from the competition and grow in the pharmacy space?

 

150 Executives Commit to Fostering Diversity and Inclusion

– The New York Times 

Tim Ryan was the chairman of PWC when five police officers in Dallas were killed by a sniper during a protest over police shootings of African-Americans. A company email to reassure the accounting firm’s employees drew a response that stayed with Mr. Ryan. “The sender wrote that when he came to work, the silence about what happened was deafening,” Mr. Ryan recalled in an interview. “I knew this was something that hit on our leadership.” A new initiative, C.E.O. Action for Diversity and Inclusion, announced that 150 corporate executives have committed to their companies’ encouraging their employees to discuss such sensitive topics. Procter & Gamble, New York Life, Accenture, Deloitte U.S. and the Boston Consulting Group are among the companies that have joined the alliance, of which Mr. Ryan is chairman.