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.Learn 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.Learn 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.Learn 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.Learn 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.Learn 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.Learn 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.Learn 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 US Chamber study shows that most small businesses are struggling to find workers with the right combination of skills and experience.
As America continues to reopen, small business optimism about hiring prospects for their business are muted, as an equal number say they are more optimistic or more pessimistic compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to the latest MetLife & U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey.
As America continues to reopen, small business optimism around hiring prospects are muted, as an equal number say they are either more optimistic or more pessimistic compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to a poll taken June 16 – 23, 2021 and released today by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and MetLife.
The biggest issue facing the economy this summer is a shortage of workers going back to open jobs.
In seaside Rehoboth, it's a devastating and all-too-common narrative for tourism-dependent employers amid a national workforce crisis.
U.S. Chamber President & CEO Suzanne Clark outlined some of the insights from her first 100 days in office for Barron's. Read her full op-ed here.
Most Appealing Incentive to Hesitant-to-Return Workers, New U.S. Chamber Poll Shows WASHINGTON, D.C. – Hiring bonuses are an effective instrument to encourage more unemployed, Americans to return to work, new polling data released today by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows. The survey results reveal some of the most impactful and immediate solutions employers and elected officials can deploy in helping address the country’s deepening worker shortage crisis.
This Hill letter was sent to the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, supporting H.R. 3897, the "H-2B Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021." This bill is on the Legislative Leadership list for the “How They Voted” scorecard.
New federal data released today illustrate the increasingly urgent need to address the country’s ever-worsening workforce crisis.
Survey shows many of the newly reported 9.3 million unemployed are never coming back to work.
