Business leaders and educators from across the Region gathered at Avalon Manor on Wednesday, July 17th for the unveiling of the biannual State of the Workforce Report. The report revealed issues, strengths, and trends set to impact Northwest Indiana’s economy for years.

In a rare Saturday morning taping of the podcast, Dante and Matt join Mark (where’s Cris and Marisa?) to disentangle the considerable crosscurrents in the May jobs report. Surging immigration is complicating the interpretation of the numbers. Next week’s all-important report on consumer price inflation was also the fodder of discussion, as was Mark’s Washington Post op-ed arguing the Fed should cut rates.

If there is one key word to pull from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), it is collaboration. WIOA has created a unique and exciting opportunity for collaboration at the state level between local workforce and economic development agencies. The law requires states to submit plans outlining how they will collaborate with partners, including economic development agencies. But, doesn’t this call for collaboration seem like a no-brainer? If employers have access to a more skilled workforce, then they are able to make a larger contribution to the overall economic wellbeing of the region.

IPB News: Indiana’s unemployment rate has gradually increased to 3.7 percent over the last six months, according to preliminary data. In November of last year the unemployment rate was 3.5 percent and it stayed that way until April of this year with a rate of 3.6 percent. The state's unemployment rate now stands at 3.7 percent, before seasonal adjustments.

Building Indiana Business: The 2024 forecast for the Northwest Indiana economy is mostly an optimistic one, according to the experts that presented during the recent Business & Economic Outlook. During the event, a cross section of industry leaders delivered their expectations for the coming year. The Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable (NWIBRT) and the Construction Advancement Foundation (CAF) host the economic outlook each autumn to provide the regional business community with insights about topics that may impact companies and communities.