US Faces a Deficit of 6 Million Workers in Less Than a Decade

  • Population seen growing at much faster pace than workforce
  • Mismatch between change in labor force and jobs in high demand

Another looming problem is the imbalance between available workers and the kind of work that’s in demand.

Photographer: Stephen B. Morton/Bloomberg
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US employers will confront a shortage of some 6 million workers within a decade, according to a new study.

A combination of retirements, mismatches between workers and available jobs, and a decline in workforce participation among men is set to drive the gap, according to by Lightcast, a provider of labor market data. Based on expected growth in the population, it projects a 6 million shortfall of workers by 2032 compared with the current level.