Reentry Passageways

The Great Recession technically ended in 2009, although the repercussions continued for several years. When I wrote the first draft of “Get Beyond Your Troubled Past” in 2014, this period (the most significant economic downturn since the Great Depression) was still very much on my mind—things were improving steadily; however, the economy and citizenry had been (and remained) unnerved. There were lots of echoes.

Then came 2020 and COVID-19—the economy and the job market were again rocked hard in novel and unexpected ways. Like the Great Recession, many hanging threads remain, and we are still adjusting to the aftermath.

One issue, still under adjustment, is a labor shortage, something we have all experienced in one form or another in our daily lives since the economy re-opened post-Covid.

Take a look at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce chart below. If we stretched it back a few years, an underlying trend would be easier to see: the decline in the U.S. Labor Participation Rate, tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It stands at 62.5% currently compared to 67.2% in January 2001. The decrease has been anything but orderly, but it’s significant. A drop of 4.7% is a very big deal.

Yes, it’s a boring old BLS statistic, but it has real and important implications for reentering job-seekers. In short, it means lots of job openings!

There are many reasons, including tech innovations, automation, fewer Boomers working, and other generational factors. Hardly a proper reasoning, but we’ll let the economists sort out the “whys.” The net result for most of those reentering (regardless of their personal whys) is an abundance of opportunity compared to the dark days during and after the recession. In short, there are many passageways to getting back in, especially entry-level. Furthermore, the need is great for skilled and semi-skilled workers of nearly all types, either as a starting point (i.e., coming out of a two-year associate’s program, apprenticeships, etc.) or as a promotional step-up from entry-level roles.

The book’s subtitle is “You’re Not Looking for a Job, You’re Looking for a Person.” This refers to the background-challenged worker’s need to make and use personal connections (attained through work) to succeed and progress forward—when, as a challenged job seeker, the digits are rarely your friend. Nothing has changed related to the importance of building relationships and contacts to advance, but the number and range of starting points—the openings—have vastly improved.

As plentiful as the opportunities are now, I must raise the cautionary flag. When passageways abound, people can become lax, sloppy, and lazy. The need to touch all the bases and progress through each stage (as I present in the book and post about here) may seem less pressing and relevant. I know. I see it, have seen it, and I get it.

But my message is this: stay tight and buttoned up, picking and choosing the right entry point and position. Once there, buckle down and stick to your plan. Your goal is to progress, and you do this by putting in the work, logging the time, and building a solid and consistent work history.

The chart features two economic shock events. You don’t see the two similar gut punches that preceded the chart data: the dot.com pop in 1999-2000 and 9/11 in 2001. If you can spot a pattern here, take heed.

Use the many passageways available now to your best advantage, proactively and intentionally, but look beyond this “less difficult” reentry time because it will morph and change, like always.

Onward!