America Works Initiative
Helping your company and our country solve our workforce challenges.
America is facing a worker shortage crisis: There are too many open jobs without people to fill them. The result: Too many businesses can’t grow, compete, and thrive. And too many workers can't realize their American dreams.
Through the America Works Initiative, we’re helping employers across the country develop and discover talent to fill open jobs and grow our economy.
Explore related topics
Understanding America's Labor Shortage
Understanding the problem
Discover the latest data on job openings, unemployment, labor force participation, quit rates, and more, for a quick understanding of the current state of the workforce—paired with in-depth analysis of the trends.
Become a member
U.S. Chamber members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations.
Learn more about how your business can become a member.
Understanding the Problem
Report
America’s woefully inadequate immigration system is directly contributing to the worker shortage crisis and hindering American business operations.
Join the #AmericaWorks Conversation
Make your voice heard. Ask Congress to take action to close the skills gap, grow our country’s workforce, and keep America’s economy strong.
Resources and Guides
U.S. Chamber Foundation Programs to Help Your Company
- Develop your talent pipelineThe U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) helps employers partner with educators and economic development leaders to make sure future workers are learning the right skills to meet employer needs.Read More
- Hire from the military communityThe U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) program connects companies with military community talent through world-class hiring events and fellowship programs.Read More
- Use data to find the perfect matchJoin the more than 500 organizations using the latest tech and data to better match people with the right jobs through the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Jobs and Employment Data Exchange (JEDx) and T3 Innovation Network.Read More
- Invest differently in upskilling and trainingTake a new approach to paying for education and skills training to create more opportunity, more inclusion, and more jobs with the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Talent Finance initiative.Read More
Case Studies
- Developing Essential Nursing Talent in PhoenixUsing the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s TPM strategy, the Hospital Workforce Collaborative in Arizona teamed up with local community colleges to train needed specialty nurses.Read More
- Workforce Readiness and Reentry Program at BlackburnA unique program is creating pathways to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals in the equine industry in Kentucky using the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s TPM strategy.Read More
- An Industry-Leading Training Model in AutomotiveUsing the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s TPM strategy, a Toyota training program is meeting industry demand for automotive technicians.Read More
America Works Policy Priorities
Feature story
Business Roundtable, SHRM, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are joining forces to help American businesses find and hire talented workers based on their skills, not just their degrees, to boost the economy and create more job opportunities.
We are calling on elected officials at the federal and state level to take immediate action to help address this national economic crisis.
Get in Touch
The U.S. Chamber is here to help. Get in touch today to learn more about our workforce programs.
Latest Content
A new U.S. Chamber poll shows 41% of people are looking to switch industries for their next job. But the reasons why they want to change careers aren’t what you might expect.
Talk in Washington right now on childcare is all centered on the reconciliation bill, but states were given $39 billion for childcare as part of the American Rescue Plan that they are unable to use freely, leaving working parents without relief.
The November jobs report showed a huge miss on the number of jobs added but an increase in people entering the workforce. Our economic policy expert breaks down the data and explains why there may be cause for optimism.
Large portions of the previously employed indicate that they are not actively looking for work and may not return to the workforce for six months or more
A new poll shows many unemployed workers are not actively looking for work. From offering hybrid work schedules to investing in reskilling and upskilling training, here are four ways employers can improve their recruiting and retention practices.
Employment levels for Black Americans are up compared to where they were at the height of the pandemic, but they still lag those of other ethnic groups. Here’s how businesses are adapting their hiring and training practices to help solve Black unemployment
Tech companies like Amazon, IBM, and others are stepping in to upskill, reskill, and provide educational opportunities that have traditionally been the domain of four-year colleges and technical and vocational schools.
The latest figures on job openings shows that businesses are still struggling to find workers to fill open positions, with 2.8 million more job openings than available workers in the economy.
