Question

What opportunities do you see as a result of the changes in our nation’s workforce?

Note: Both demographics and diversity will serve to drive the future workforce structure. How these factors are integrated into the overall business base will determine the ultimate outcome. Your opinion is a valued approach to a viable solution for future managers....which you are studying to become.

Answer 1

Answer-

The Unites States workforce is a constantly changing entity. For much of our history as a great nation our workforce has been dominated by white males under the age of retirement. However,” [i]n the United States, the number of racial and ethnic minorities is increasing at a far faster rate than the growth in the white, non minority population, and women make up a sizable share of the workforce” . Today, women make up a large amount of the United States workforce. According to our textbook, “Women make up about 47 percent of the workforce”. Furthermore, “African American, Asian, and Hispanic workers are about one-third of the labor force in the United States. Asian and Hispanic workforces are growing the fastest in the United States, followed by the African American workforce. By 2022, more than 19 percent of the workforce is expected to be people of Hispanic origin”. Because of the aforementioned changes, businesses in the United States are confronted with enormous challenges as well as opportunities. This is not the first time in our nation's history that the issue of diversity has been confronted. “From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, most of the groups that immigrated to the United States were from Italy, Poland, Ireland, and Russia. Members of those groups were considered outsiders because most did not speak English and had different customs and work styles. They struggled, often violently, to gain acceptance in industries such as steel, coal, automobile manufacturing, insurance, and finance”. Although, today Americans see similar challenges as were witnessed during the nineteen hundred, thankfully, minorities today have protection under the law against various types of discrimination. However, as a nation we still have a long way to go! In my opinion, this proverbial, changing of the guard, provides a unique opportunity for American companies. For American businesses, diversity provides an opportunity to see things in different perspectives. The implementation of flexible hours could increase productivity because employees would be happier. Older Americans will continue to work, providing opportunities to pass their wisdom to the next generation. Furthermore, because the American workforce will be more diverse, this could provide opportunity by creating culturally acceptable products produced in the United States, opening up markets throughout the world. Brilliants is not exclusive to a person's, race, sex, age, or sexual orientation, the future offers an excellent opportunity to allow everyone in America an ability to contribute.