The transportation and warehousing industry continues to lead as Indiana's fastest-growing business sector, and has been for over a decade now, but the companies, like many others, don't have enough employees.
The Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University said despite hiring bonuses and "help wanted" signs posted at trucking companies, too many jobs remain unfilled.
Carla Rogers, director of the center, said at the onset of the pandemic, the demand for goods could not keep up with the low supply of workers.
"We suddenly started getting more and more stuff delivered," Rogers recounted. "Instead of going to a store, we were getting it delivered. That needed more trucks, more truck drivers, more people in the warehouses to do the stocking."
Rogers pointed out Indiana's Department of Workforce Development has received federal money to create "WorkOne," an online center arranged by county where people can get information on choosing or changing a career, job training and apprenticeships.
She is also optimistic Indiana will continue to offer a "high school to community college to commercial training" pipeline for the next generation of workers in these fields.
Source: publicnewsservice.org
Categories: Indiana, Equipment & Machinery