THE LATEST WORKFORCE NEWS
Save time and subscribe to IAWP’s Workforce at Work newsletter. This newsletter shares with you the hot items from the news on workforce system issues as well as looks at trends, changes in laws and regulations, and what’s next in our profession.
Helping Older Workers Find Jobs: A Practical Workforce Development Imperative
Workforce development professionals are under pressure to deliver results in a labor market defined by shortages, rapid change, and employer frustration. At the same time, one of the most capable and available segments of the workforce—older workers—often remains underutilized. Recent research from AARP, using LinkedIn labor market data, reinforces what many practitioners already see on […]
Learning, Leadership, and Community: IAWP Washington Winter Institute & Crab Feed
March 28, 2026 | Westport, Washington The Washington Chapter of the IAWP invites workforce professionals to gather on the Washington coast for the Winter Institute & Crab Feed, taking place on March 28, 2026, in Westport. This annual event brings together focused professional development, meaningful peer connection, and one of the chapter’s most valued traditions. […]
U.S. Department of Labor Announces $98 Million in YouthBuild Funding for Pre-Apprenticeship Programs
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that $98 million in new funding is now available to support YouthBuild programs focused on education, pre-apprenticeship training, and employment services for young people. The funding is intended to help communities deliver pre-apprenticeship programs in high-demand industries such as construction, advanced manufacturing, information technology, and healthcare. These programs […]
Helping job seekers prepare for interviews: what’s changed, and how we can coach differently
If you work closely with job seekers, you’ve probably noticed something: interviews feel different now. Shorter. Faster. Sometimes more awkward. Often more opaque. And yet, much of the advice job seekers still receive hasn’t really changed—“be confident,” “sell yourself,” “practice common questions.” None of that is wrong, exactly. It’s just no longer enough. Today’s hiring […]
TEGL 05-25: What Workforce Professionals Should Know (Simple, Clear, and Practical)
The U.S. Department of Labor’s TEGL 05-25 is essentially a nudge—one that tells the workforce system: you already have room to innovate, and now is the time to use it. Instead of adding new rules, it highlights the flexibility built into WIOA and encourages everyone—states, boards, and front-line teams—to modernize how we help workers and […]
Grow With Communities: A Place Where Workforce Professionals Don’t Have to Go It Alone
Have you ever finished a webinar, closed the window, and thought, “That was good… but I’m still on my own to figure out what to do with it”? That feeling is more common than most people admit. Workforce professionals are juggling a lot at once—helping jobseekers, answering to employers, responding to policy changes, trying to […]
Oregon IAWP Chapter Brings Holiday Magic to the Salem Carousel
The Oregon Chapter of IAWP carried forward one of its most cherished traditions on Saturday, December 6, 2025, hosting its annual holiday celebration at the iconic Salem Carousel. For two joyful hours, the building was alive with laughter, carousel music, and the kind of heartfelt reconnection that many remote workers have been longing for. The […]
Frontline Workforce Professionals: It’s Time to Move Beyond Superficial AI Use
Across workplaces, AI has quietly shifted from “future trend” to everyday tool. Recent surveys show that more than half of workers have already used AI on the job, and most say it helps them work faster and improve the quality of what they produce. For many frontline workforce professionals, though, AI is still something we […]
The Latest Jobs Report: What It Means for Workforce Professionals on the Front Lines
The newest jobs report finally arrived — late, thanks to the long federal shutdown — and it paints a picture that’s a bit mixed. On the upside, employers added around 119,000 new jobs in September, more than double what many economists expected. That suggests hiring hasn’t stopped, even as the economy slows. But here’s the […]
The Quiet Freeze: Why Hiring Has Slowed — Even Though the Economy Isn’t in Trouble
If you’ve been watching the labor market closely, you’ve probably noticed something unusual. Job postings are down. Hiring decisions are taking longer. But layoffs are minimal, unemployment remains low, and the broader economy isn’t flashing recession signs. This slowdown-without-a-downturn is what many analysts are calling a Quiet Freeze. And it’s one of the most important […]