Understand what Workforce Development Month means, when it takes place, and how workforce boards can use September to share clear local results.
Chmura Blog
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Workforce
5
min readThe Work Opportunity Tax Credit Explained For Employers
Understand the work opportunity tax credit, current eligibility limits, credit amounts, filing steps, and employer record requirements for claims.
Consulting
5
min readHow Generative AI is Disrupting the Relationship Between the Labor Market and Stocks
See how the AI impact on jobs has separated stock gains from hiring activity and get practical insight into wages, skills, and job displacement.
Workforce
5
min readHow Workforce Planning Teams Can Track Hiring Competition
See how hiring competition analysis connects compa ratio, workforce assessment, and employee retention strategy to active employer postings.
Corporate
5
min readTalent Intelligence Platforms and What Corporate Teams Should Evaluate Before Buying
Compare talent intelligence platforms using data quality, geographic detail, workflow fit, and expert support to get practical guidance before buying.
Economic Impact
5
min readWhy World Cup hiring favored management and business roles over hospitality
See which World Cup jobs appeared across host cities and why sports event management jobs outweighed hospitality roles. Get practical insight into hiring.
Economic Impact
5
min read5 Reasons World Cup job forecasts overstated host city hiring
Review the economic impact of hosting the World Cup and get practical insight into why national job projections overstated local hiring.
Education
5
min readCareer and technical education funding sources that are growing in 2026
Review CTE funding sources for 2026, including Perkins V, WIOA, Workforce Pell, state programs, and rural funding, and get practical guidance.
Education
5
min readWhy conduct program review with labor market evidence
Use higher education program review data to assess enrollment, workforce fit, wages, openings, and program viability with practical insight.
Workforce
5
min read7 Mistakes Deans Make When Launching Workforce-Aligned Programs
Get practical insight into 7 program justification mistakes that weaken workforce-aligned programs and how deans can build stronger launch cases.
Workforce
5
min readHow To Publish Salary Ranges Employees Can Trust In 2026
Review pay transparency law requirements, salary band design, and pay equity analysis steps to get practical guidance for defensible ranges.
Workforce
5
min readData Center Site Selection Driven by Workforce as Much as Power
Review data center site selection criteria for labor sheds, skilled trades, wages, and training capacity, and get practical guidance for site comparisons.
Workforce
5
min readWhat a Local Workforce Development Board Does
Get practical guidance on what local workforce development boards do, who serves, how funding is set, and how American Job Centers deliver services.
Economic Impact
5
min readThe World Cup Was Supposed to Create Thousands of Jobs. Did It?
Did the 2026 World Cup create the hiring boom many expected? Our analysis of real-time job postings reveals a very different employment story.
Education
5
min readWhen a Program Fails the "Do No Harm" Rule, What's the Real Problem?
Learn how workforce data helps colleges identify why programs fail the Do No Harm earnings benchmark & what institutions can do to improve graduate outcomes.
Workforce
5
min readTurning Workforce Outcomes Into an Impact Story Stakeholders Remember
Use storytelling with data to present program outcomes with context, credibility, and focus. Get practical insight into stakeholder communication.
Education
5
min read8 ways CTE directors prove program demand to local industry boards
Get practical insight into CTE advisory committee evidence that connects programs to occupations, wages, postings, and employer needs.
Education
5
min readBuilding a curriculum alignment process that labor data can defend
Get practical insight into workforce alignment using employer skill data, regional patterns, and faculty review to support curriculum decisions.
Education
5
min readConnecting CIP codes to SOC codes for program planning
Get practical insight into CIP codes and how validated SOC mappings support stronger program planning and stakeholder-ready evidence.
Education
5
min readWorkforce data that strengthens Perkins, WIOA, and Title III grant applications
Get practical insight into workforce grants and how labor market data supports stronger Perkins, WIOA, and Title III applications.
Economic Development
5
min readHow institutions translate in-demand skills into program design decisions
Use regional skills data to evaluate in-demand skills in 2026 and get practical insight into stronger program design and approval cases.
Education
5
min readPerkins V comprehensive local needs assessment with workforce data
Get practical insight into Perkins V CLNA requirements and how workforce data supports stronger Perkins grant narratives and funding priorities.
Data
5
min readIs your locality impacted by changes to the 2023 Core Based Statistical Area definitions?
Get practical insight into metropolitan statistical area updates, MSA definition checks, and how BLS data can shift after CBSA revisions.
Economic Trends
5
min readThe Cost of an American Classic: The 2026 Chmura Hot Dog Index
See how much a hot dog costs in 2026 with the Chmura Hot Dog Index. Compare 4th of July food prices, grocery inflation, and regional cost differences.
5
min readPrime-Age Participation Rate
Get practical insight into prime-age labor force participation and how it helps clarify workforce supply across local labor markets.
Workforce
5
min readBest College Majors for Remote Work
Get practical insight into the best majors for remote work in 2026 and how job tasks shape work-from-home career options.
Data
5
min readWhat is Happening to Women in the Labor Force?
Get practical insight into women in the labor force, participation trends, caregiving pressure, and workforce planning needs in 2026.
Economic Trends
5
min readClass of 2026: Where the Jobs Are in Richmond
What does the labor market look like for the Class of 2026? Explore Richmond hiring trends, in-demand occupations, and opportunities for new graduates.
Education
5
min readHow institutions justify a new degree program with workforce data
See how workforce data supports career and technical education program proposals and get practical insight into proving program viability.
Workforce
5
min readWorkforce Pell is more than funding expansion. It’s a workforce data infrastructure challenge.
Workforce Pell is more than a financial aid expansion. Learn how the new federal rule could accelerate workforce data modernization, integrated education and labor systems, and demand for labor market intelligence across states.
Workforce
5
min readWho’s most likely to relocate? What talent attraction leaders need to know
Learn what drives relocation decisions, which workers are most likely to move, and how employers can use migration trends to build smarter talent attraction strategies.
Workforce
5
min read7 Strategies to attract boomerang employees and returning residents
Get practical insight into boomerang employees and how return-home recruitment can support stronger employee retention strategies.
Economic Development
5
min readThe workforce behind small business: 2026 economic development insights
Explore how shifting workforce trends are impacting small businesses and economic development in 2026—and what it means for your region.
Corporate
5
min readUsing labor market data to identify workers most likely to relocate
Get practical insight into relocation trends and labor market data methods that help teams identify workers more likely to relocate with confidence.
Economic Development
5
min readSmall business hiring is shifting
Small business hiring pressures have eased since 2023, but labor markets remain tight in many regions. See how JobsEQ data reveal job ad, wage, and unemployment trends.
Economic Development
5
min readIntroducing the JobsEQ Living Wage Analytic: What is a Living Wage?
Learn what a living wage means, what basic needs it covers, and how the new JobsEQ Living Wage analytic brings better regional insight, including rural areas.
Economic Development
5
min readTaiwan semiconductor supply chain
Explore how Taiwan semiconductor supply chain disruptions could impact U.S. states, especially regions tied to AI, R&D, and data center growth.
Economic Development
5
min readEmerging Helium Shortage Could Impact Communities Across the U.S.
A global helium shortage could disrupt U.S. industries and local economies. See which metro areas may be most exposed using Chmura’s JobsEQ analysis.
Economic Development
5
min readHow Generative AI Is Reshaping Entry-Level Jobs for College Graduates
Generative AI is reshaping entry-level jobs for college graduates, reducing routine roles and increasing demand for AI-ready skills and adaptability.
Economic Development
5
min readHoliday sales 2025: NRF optimism, Deloitte caution, and what the data say
Holiday sales 2025 are set to grow but at a slower pace. Compare NRF optimism with Deloitte caution and see what the data mean for retailers this season.
Data
5
min readThe Startup Job Market in 2025: More Healthcare, More AI, and More Open Jobs
2025 startup hiring trends reveal rapid growth in AI and healthcare technology. Job postings at startups surged 60% year over year, led by demand for Python, generative AI, and LLM skills. Explore how innovation is reshaping the U.S. startup job market.
Data
5
min readAs official data stalls, real-time job ads reveal a cooling labor market with rising demand for AI skills
November 2025 labor market insights from Chmura show U.S. job postings down 30% since late 2024, while demand for AI-related skills rose 19%. Explore how real-time job ad data reveals cooling hiring trends and shifting occupational demand amid delayed federal reports.
Data
5
min readJobsEQ Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) Data Update, 2Q 2025
Chmura’s 2Q 2025 JobsEQ MSA update reveals how employment and wages changed across 387 U.S. metros. Discover which regions led job growth, where wages rose fastest, and what these patterns mean for local economies.
Data
5
min readJobsEQ Labor Market Data Update – 2Q 2025
Discover how Chmura’s JobsEQ® provides reliable Q2 2025 labor market data despite the federal government shutdown. Explore national and state-level employment trends, growth insights, and how data continuity supports economic decision-making in uncertain times.
Economy
5
min readA rising trade deficit is not necessarily bad
Dr. Chris Chmura explains why a rising U.S. trade deficit is not always a warning sign. Learn how strong demand, capital investment, and productivity gains can signal economic health
Economy
5
min readHow JobsEQ Lets You Spend Time Analyzing, Not Just Gathering, Data
At Chmura, we help our clients make better decisions by grounding strategies in data. But there’s a step that often gets overlooked in that journey from question to insight: before you can analyze data, you have to find it, clean it, and prepare it. That step can be enormously time-consuming, and it’s where JobsEQ gives you a decisive advantage.
Consulting
5
min readClass of 2025: Navigating a Cooler Hiring Climate in Richmond
Explore the hiring landscape for the Class of 2025 in Richmond, highlighting current trends in youth unemployment, wage growth, and local job demand. Discover which occupations offer promising opportunities and which fields are facing tougher competition.
5
min readWhat Tariffs and Immigration Policy Mean for the Construction Sector
The recent wave of tariffs from the United States stacks on a few existing ones, contributing to rising construction input costs.
Workforce
5
min readLeveraging AI-Supported Salary Data: 5 Key Takeaways for Better Hiring Intelligence
With artificial intelligence (AI) continuing to evolve, new opportunities are arising for teams to enhance not just efficiency, but also accuracy. Take salary benchmarking— traditional survey data are very comprehensive and useful, but when market changes happen fast, these data can quickly become stale.
Economy
5
min readFederal Layoffs Impact Early Retirement and Probationary Workers—Where Are They?
Workers eligible for voluntary early retirement and probationary workers face the brunt of federal reductions, with significant state-by-state variations in impact. According to multipliers from JobsEQ by Chmura, each laid-off federal worker can further impact an average of 1.3 other jobs at businesses that support the government agency and through the reduced local spending. Some states will feel these effects more than others.