Learn how workforce data helps colleges identify why programs fail the Do No Harm earnings benchmark & what institutions can do to improve graduate outcomes.
Chmura Blog
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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
Use workforce data to justify a new degree program with practical insight into labor market alignment, CTE programs, and funding support.
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 readHow Generative AI is Disrupting the Relationship Between the Labor Market and Stocks
The historic link between stock market performance and job postings has broken down amid the rise of generative AI. While investor enthusiasm over AI technologies has sent stock prices soaring - particularly in tech - job postings have plunged, especially in high-wage white-collar sectors like software and finance. This divergence raises questions about whether we’re seeing a fundamental labor market shift, an AI investment bubble, or both.
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.
JobsEQ
5
min readIntroducing Salary Sonar: Real-Time Compensation Benchmarking
The JobsEQ Team at Chmura is thrilled to announce the addition of Salary Sonar to our suite of real-time hiring and talent intelligence tools. Salary Sonar is designed specifically for HR professionals, talent acquisition leaders, and compensation specialists.
Case Study
5
min readThe Future of Texas Workforce
With a GDP of $2.0 trillion in 2021, Texas’s economy is larger than that of most
nations. Coupled with higher-than-average employment and population growth,
the Texas economy is poised to become even larger through the next decade
but will also be subject to the influence of the worldwide social, demographic,
and economic trends.
Economic Impact
5
min readThe Economic Impact of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in WV, VA, and NC
Prepared September 2014 for Dominion Resources.
The one-time construction activity of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline can
inject an annual average of $456.3 million into the economy of the
three-state combined region of West Virginia, Virginia, and North
Carolina, supporting 2,873 annual jobs in the region from 2014 to
2019.
5
min readEconomic cost of Daylight Savings Time: $670 million
President-elect Donald Trump plans to end Daylight Savings Time (DST) after he takes office. DST was first created in the United States in 1918 to shift the daylight hours to evening in the warmer months.
Data
5
min readConnecticut Planning Regions Replace Counties in JobsEQ
The JobsEQ update released December 9, 2024 brought industry and occupation employment and wages data up to the second quarter of 2024.
Data
5
min readIntroducing the Housing Demand Analytic: The latest piece of the attraction and expansion puzzle
A new tool to forecast housing demand generated by new and expanding businesses.
Economic Impact
5
min readA Ho-Hum Holiday? Retailers Brace for Subdued Holiday Sales Growth
In her recent article for Richmond Times Dispatch, Chmura CEO Dr. Chris Chmura reviews forecasts and shares her insights for this coming holiday season's retail sales
5
min readEconomic impact of breast cancer: $32.7B in medical costs in 2024
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month — a time to focus on the individuals and communities impacted by breast cancer, reflect on the lives affected by this disease, and the emphasize the importance of continued support and research.
5
min readThe Cost of Breast Cancer in the United States
A recent study by the National Cancer Institute reported the total annual medical cost in 2020 for breast cancer was $29.8 billion. In this blog, Chmura estimates breast cancer medical costs for 2024.
Economic Impact
5
min readLack of R&D Spending Links To Job Loss
In her recent article for Richmond Times Dispatch, Chmura CEO Dr. Chris Chmura sheds light on the crucial role of research and development in driving economic growth.
Data
5
min readInsights From Chmura's Latest Product Release: JobsEQ RTI Global Data
Chmura is excited to announce a significant expansion to JobsEQ's Real-Time Intelligence (RTI) dataset—introducing JobsEQ RTI Global Data.
Site Selection
5
min readData Centers Decoded: From Site Selection to Economic Impact
Data centers are critical to the broad global economy and digital life, but the cost-benefit ratio can be unclear. Learn more about the impact they can have.
Workforce
5
min readProfits and Peril: Tourism as an economic development strategy
Tourism can be a lucrative industry with a big economic impact until competition rises. Read on to learn about Las Vegas & Atlantic City's tourism trends.
Workforce
5
min readOn a roll or not? A look at American hot dog consumption
Chmura's economists take a peek at the cultural impact to see why consumers are fired up year after year, even as cookout costs rise.