CBS News, August 11, “Skilled Labor Shortage Frustrates Employers“:

(CBS)  Job openings at businesses fell to 2.54 million in June from 2.6 million in May, meaning there is now five unemployed workers on average for every job opening.

There’s a brighter spot in manufacturing, where some companies are looking for workers, CBS News Correspondent Cynthia Bowers reports.

On a quick tour of her family’s factory, Linda Fillingham proudly shows off employees making the metal parts that go into some of America’s biggest machines.

What’s holding her machine shop back isn’t a shortage of work. Instead, it’s a shortage of workers, whom she’s willing to pay $13 to $18 an hour.

That’s not to conflate the importance of a skilled workforce with the issue of attracting people with advanced engineering, scientific, programming or mathematical training as noted below.

The latter is more akin to this April CBS story, “New Nuke Plants Face Skilled Labor Shortage.”

(CBS News always seems interested in these workforce topics, which we appreciate.)