ManpowerGroup says Workers Must Become “Cross-Functional”

As the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent in February, ManpowerGroup is recommending workers examine how they apply their core skills and develop new skills that are transferable across industries and industry functions. As a whole, the economy added 236,000 jobs last month, largely made up of positions in the business services (73,000 jobs), construction (48,000 jobs), and health care (32,000 jobs) industries.

“To experience more 2013 job growth spikes, across industries, particularly in the wake of federal job losses, the U.S. job market must reinforce its educational infrastructure,” says Jeffrey A. Joerres, chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup. “With budget cuts to education, companies are under increasing pressure to invest in modernizing school curriculums and preparing today’s workers and students for fast-growing industries. Employers have always been the most knowledgeable sources of what skills will accelerate industry growth. Yet the responsibility they now bear – to invest in skills-training the American workforce – is inescapable.”

ManpowerGroup has found that millions of long-term unemployed workers are located near employers in dominant industries unable to find candidates with the right skills.

“To build a long-term career across many industries, individuals at all career stages must first examine which industries are growing and then seek the skills and career development expertise that will open doors for them across these industries,” says Jonas Prising, president of ManpowerGroup. “Essential career-planning resources are found in ManpowerGroup’s widespread presence in U.S. communities. The ManpowerGroup network is critical for acquiring the insight into the top skills demanded by today’s growing employers.”