Addressing Unemployment & Economic Prosperity Through Workforce Development

Despite the nation’s low unemployment rate of 4.4 percent, many U.S. employers still report struggles with finding qualified workers to fill vacancies. This phenomenon is often generalized as the “skills gap,” or a gap between the skills workers possess and the ones demanded by employers.

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Goodwill Celebrates Armed Forces Day

Today marks a holiday with significant importance to every American, whether they realize it or not. It’s Armed Forces Day; One day set aside to honor the brave men and women of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force who put their lives on the line to defend our country. So, we’ll be sharing some thrift store projects that are relevant to that dedicated lifestyle.

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Support Our Veterans and Their Families During Military Appreciation Month

May is not just the unofficial start to summer, it is also National Military Appreciation Month where we honor and recognize members of the Military and their families. And while controversy may be the word of the day lately here in D.C. and across the country, there’s one thing that I think we can agree on – the need to recognize the successes and sacrifices of service members and their families.

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Unemployment in the U.S.: The Story Inside the Recent Headlines

The daily news cycle in the United States consistently discusses the national unemployment rate. In early May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) reported that the unemployment rate nationwide declined to 4.4 percent, the lowest level in almost a decade and a milestone in the long road back from the Great Recession. The rate was 4.9 percent a year ago. So this is all good…right?! The answer is: “It Depends.”

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Assess Your Computer Skills

Almost every workplace today requires employees to have some level of computer knowledge – from basic word processing on a PC to point-of-sale systems at retail stores and fast-food restaurants.If you lack computer experience or think you don’t have the right skill set to land your dream job, you’re not alone. The important thing is to find out what you already know and what you still need to learn.

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The Fight Continues to Protect Workforce Programs Funding for FY2018

Congress recently approved an omnibus spending package for the remainder of FY2017 which will continue to fund the government though September 30, 2017. Despite an overall reduction in the Department of Labor, many of the federal workforce programs of interest to local Goodwill® organizations saw sustained funding or had a slight increase. One exception is

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