04-10-2026IMPACT COUNCIL

The future of work is here, but hiring hasn’t caught up

The problem isn’t talent—it’s how companies define and find it.

[Photo: Getty Images]

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Companies today are facing a paradox they can’t seem to solve: Roles are going unfilled while millions of capable workers remain overlooked.

Work has changed. That much is undeniable.

Artificial intelligence, automation, demographic shifts, and economic pressure are reshaping how companies operate and who they need to hire. The future of work isn’t on the horizon; it has already arrived. Yet the way most organizations approach hiring and workforce development remains rooted in the past.

The consequences are increasingly visible. Job growth has slowed from its post-pandemic peak. Layoffs are rising across sectors. And still, critical roles in healthcare, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and the skilled trades remain persistently unfilled.

A LABOR MARKET OUT OF ALIGNMENT

What we are seeing is not a shortage of talent—it is a failure to connect talent to opportunity.

Across the economy, millions of workers have skills that are not being recognized or effectively matched to available jobs. At the same time, fewer young people are pursuing traditional postsecondary education, with enrollment still below pre-pandemic levels and projected to decline further.

Meanwhile, demand for essential roles continues to........

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