The U.S. added just 29,000 jobs in September. Chris Chmura looks beyond the headline at what’s really driving the labor market slowdown.
Chmura Blog
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JobsEQ
5
min readJobsEQ Canvas Is Here
Discover JobsEQ Canvas, a flexible new workspace that brings labor market insights, AI, analysis, and reporting together in one place.
Economic Development
5
min readWhen a Retail Gap Isn’t a Market Opportunity
Discover why a retail gap doesn’t always signal opportunity and how market feasibility analysis can reveal demand, competition, and site viability.
Workforce
5
min readWhat Is Workforce Analytics and What Should Teams Track First?
What is workforce analytics? See how teams choose the right metrics, compare four analytics types, and get practical insight into better workforce decisions.
Workforce
5
min readWorkforce Competition Doesn't Stop at the Border
JobsEQ Real-Time Intelligence for Mexico provides daily job posting data to help businesses and economic developers evaluate workforce competition.
Workforce
5
min read5 Grow-Your-Own-Workforce Models That Keep Talent in the Region
Compare 5 grow-your-own workforce models for building homegrown talent pipelines around local occupation gaps. Get practical insight into program fit.
Workforce
5
min readWhat is Gross Regional Product, and Why Workforce Analysts Should Know It
Understand what gross regional product measures, how GRP differs from GDP, and how workforce analysts use regional output data for stronger decisions.
Workforce
5
min readWorkforce Risk Management When Supply Shocks Hit Your Hiring Corridors
Manage workforce risk across hiring corridors using migration, mobility, pay, and occupation signals. Get practical insight into continuity planning.
Workforce
5
min readHow Workforce Boards Decide Which Training Programs Earn ETPL Approval
See how the WIOA eligible training provider list works, what boards review, and how local criteria shape approval. Get practical insight into ETPL rules.
Workforce
5
min readIntegrated Workforce Planning That Connects Supply, Demand, and AI Strategy
See how integrated workforce planning connects business goals, talent supply, AI impact, and an HR dashboard to support clearer workforce decisions.
Workforce
5
min readJob Title vs Occupation and Why the Difference Matters for Workforce Data
Understand job title vs occupation, how occupation codes shape workforce data, and when job postings add context. Get practical guidance for analysis.
Corporate
5
min readHow Pay Transparency Mandates Are Reshaping Internal Equity Reviews
See how a pay range law affects internal equity reviews, market pay analysis, salary ranges, and compensation budgets, with practical steps for HR teams.
Economic Development
5
min readThe Real Bottleneck for Data Centers Isn’t Power, It’s People
Explore how construction labor shortages affect data center development, workforce capacity, site selection, project costs, and timelines.
Workforce
5
min readWhat are SOC Codes and How to Use Them in Workforce Planning
Understand SOC codes, wage data by occupation, and labor market index comparisons, then get practical guidance for more accurate workforce planning.
Workforce
5
min readWorkforce Development Grants And How To Find Them
Find workforce development grants, confirm eligibility, assess Workforce Pell rules, and get practical guidance for stronger applications with local evidence.
Workforce
5
min readWhat Workforce Development Month is and Why it Matters
Understand what Workforce Development Month means, when it takes place, and how workforce boards can use September to share clear local results.
Workforce
5
min readHow AI in Recruiting Changes the Data Corporate HR Actually Needs
See how AI recruiting works best with shared labor market data for sourcing, pay, headcount planning, and screening. Get practical guidance for HR teams.
Workforce
5
min readWhat are NAICS Codes and How Industries Use Them for Workforce Decisions
Understand NAICS codes, establishment classification, code versions, and crosswalks for workforce analysis, and get practical guidance on using them.
Workforce
5
min readLabor Force Participation Rate Explained for Workforce Planners
Get practical insight into the LFPR rate, its formula, and how regional labor market analysis supports clearer workforce planning decisions.
Consulting
5
min readHow Generative AI is Disrupting the Relationship Between the Labor Market and Stocks
See how the AI impact on jobs has separated stock gains from hiring activity and get practical insight into wages, skills, and job displacement.
Workforce
5
min readHow Workforce Planning Teams Can Track Hiring Competition
See how hiring competition analysis connects compa ratio, workforce assessment, and employee retention strategy to active employer postings.
Corporate
5
min readTalent Intelligence Platforms and What Corporate Teams Should Evaluate Before Buying
Compare talent intelligence platforms using data quality, geographic detail, workflow fit, and expert support to get practical guidance before buying.
Economic Impact
5
min readWhy World Cup hiring favored management and business roles over hospitality
See which World Cup jobs appeared across host cities and why sports event management jobs outweighed hospitality roles. Get practical insight into hiring.
Economic Impact
5
min read5 Reasons World Cup job forecasts overstated host city hiring
Review the economic impact of hosting the World Cup and get practical insight into why national job projections overstated local hiring.
Education
5
min readCareer and technical education funding sources that are growing in 2026
Review CTE funding sources for 2026, including Perkins V, WIOA, Workforce Pell, state programs, and rural funding, and get practical guidance.
Education
5
min readWhy conduct program review with labor market evidence
Use higher education program review data to assess enrollment, workforce fit, wages, openings, and program viability with practical insight.
Workforce
5
min read7 Mistakes Deans Make When Launching Workforce-Aligned Programs
Get practical insight into 7 program justification mistakes that weaken workforce-aligned programs and how deans can build stronger launch cases.
Workforce
5
min read7 Workforce Development Metrics That Matter To Boards And Funders
Review 7 workforce development metrics for employment, earnings, skills, employer results, and cost, and get practical guidance for board reporting.
Workforce
5
min readHow To Build A Workforce Development Program
See how to build a workforce development program using regional evidence, employer commitments, participant support, funding, and outcome measures.
Workforce
5
min readHow To Publish Salary Ranges Employees Can Trust In 2026
Review pay transparency law requirements, salary band design, and pay equity analysis steps to get practical guidance for defensible ranges.
Workforce
5
min readData Center Site Selection Driven by Workforce as Much as Power
Review data center site selection criteria for labor sheds, skilled trades, wages, and training capacity, and get practical guidance for site comparisons.
Workforce
5
min readWhat a Local Workforce Development Board Does
Get practical guidance on what local workforce development boards do, who serves, how funding is set, and how American Job Centers deliver services.
Economic Impact
5
min readThe World Cup Was Supposed to Create Thousands of Jobs. Did It?
Did the 2026 World Cup create the hiring boom many expected? Our analysis of real-time job postings reveals a very different employment story.
Education
5
min readWhen a Program Fails the "Do No Harm" Rule, What's the Real Problem?
Learn how workforce data helps colleges identify why programs fail the Do No Harm earnings benchmark & what institutions can do to improve graduate outcomes.
Corporate
5
min readSite Selection Process Anchored In Labor Capacity, Not Incentives
See how a workforce-led site selection process uses labor sheds, hiring pressure, and wages to screen locations before comparing incentives.
Workforce
5
min readTurning Workforce Outcomes Into an Impact Story Stakeholders Remember
Use storytelling with data to present program outcomes with context, credibility, and focus. Get practical insight into stakeholder communication.
Education
5
min read8 ways CTE directors prove program demand to local industry boards
Get practical insight into CTE advisory committee evidence that connects programs to occupations, wages, postings, and employer needs.
Education
5
min readBuilding a curriculum alignment process that labor data can defend
Get practical insight into workforce alignment using employer skill data, regional patterns, and faculty review to support curriculum decisions.
Education
5
min readConnecting CIP codes to SOC codes for program planning
Get practical insight into CIP codes and how validated SOC mappings support stronger program planning and stakeholder-ready evidence.
Education
5
min readWorkforce data that strengthens Perkins, WIOA, and Title III grant applications
Get practical insight into workforce grants and how labor market data supports stronger Perkins, WIOA, and Title III applications.
Economic Development
5
min readHow institutions translate in-demand skills into program design decisions
Use regional skills data to evaluate in-demand skills in 2026 and get practical insight into stronger program design and approval cases.
Education
5
min readPerkins V comprehensive local needs assessment with workforce data
Get practical insight into Perkins V CLNA requirements and how workforce data supports stronger Perkins grant narratives and funding priorities.
Corporate
5
min readBuilding A Defensible Compensation Benchmarking Process For 2026
Strengthen salary benchmarking with a clear compensation strategy framework and get practical insight into wage sources, regional context, and internal pay.
Data
5
min readIs your locality impacted by changes to the 2023 Core Based Statistical Area definitions?
Get practical insight into metropolitan statistical area updates, MSA definition checks, and how BLS data can shift after CBSA revisions.
Economic Development
5
min readTop 3 Locations for Wind Farms in the USA
See how 3 Texas metros rank for renewable energy jobs and get practical insight into workforce fit, payroll, skills, and hiring risk across each market.
Economic Trends
5
min readThe Cost of an American Classic: The 2026 Chmura Hot Dog Index
See how much a hot dog costs in 2026 with the Chmura Hot Dog Index. Compare 4th of July food prices, grocery inflation, and regional cost differences.
Corporate
5
min readBuilding A Skills-Based Workforce Strategy That The Data Can Defend
Build a skills taxonomy grounded in occupation data, job postings, and role evidence. Get practical guidance for skills gap analysis and workforce planning.
5
min readPrime-Age Participation Rate
Get practical insight into prime-age labor force participation and how it helps clarify workforce supply across local labor markets.
Workforce
5
min readBest College Majors for Remote Work
Get practical insight into the best majors for remote work in 2026 and how job tasks shape work-from-home career options.
Data
5
min readWhat is Happening to Women in the Labor Force?
Get practical insight into women in the labor force, participation trends, caregiving pressure, and workforce planning needs in 2026.