We asked our WorkingNation Advisory Board to share their thoughts on the most important issues and challenges facing the workforce and the labor market in 2024.

Ellen Hughes-Cromwick is an accomplished economist and senior resident fellow for the Climate and Energy Program at Third Way, a boutique think tank.

Here are her thoughts on The Future of Work 2024.

“I hope in 2024 we talk more about the U.S. competitiveness and focus our attention on the importance of workforce training and education in fostering a more durable competitive advantage of the U.S.

“Many economies are investing in their labor markets. They’re moving ahead, especially in future clean energy technologies. China in particular surpassed the U.S. many years ago in terms of production of technologies like wind and solar equipment or batteries and EVs.

“In the U.S., the automotive sector is 3% to 4% of GDP and only employs about four million people. If the U.S. does not undergo a successful transition to EVs, when the rest of the world is going and racing ahead, we will lose out and we will fall behind.

“We also need lots of training and different types. As you know, and WorkingNation has been so arduously putting forth an effort in terms of awareness about apprenticeship programs, these are now part of some of the climate laws that were passed in the last two years.

“It’s helping to supply workers, well-trained workers in areas that are really the future industries here in the U.S. including solar, wind, batteries, energy storage, upgrading our electric grid, hydrogen, geothermal installations, and direct air capture, just to name a few. Those apprenticeship programs are critical. We need high volume.

“We critically need immigration reform. This would lift up our labor force, allowing us to take advantage of an important workforce that has been part of the history of the United States from really Day One  –getting more work visas out for those in the U.S. that are waiting to hear about their immigration application status.”

Industries of the future, including climate-resilient industries, need a big, well-trained workforce

We asked our WorkingNation Advisory Board to share their thoughts on the most important issues and challenges facing the workforce and the labor market in the coming year. Ellen Hughes-Cromwick is an accomplished economist and senior resident fellow for the Climate and Energy Program at Third Way, a boutique think tank.

Read more from our WorkingNation Advisory Board members on The Future of Work 2024.