Bills
| 3.23.22

A Department of Labor Report Addressing Skills Gaps in Manufacturing (H.R. 4541)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 4541?

(Updated July 13, 2017)

According to its cosponsor, Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PN), the bill "would require the Department of Labor (DOL) to develop a strategy report that provides recommendations to address the national skills gap – defined as the difference between the current supply of labor and skills of the workforce and that which is desired by employers." 

Argument in favor

Job creator: Americans are out of work and need job training to get work. Onsite job training has declined in recent decades.

Argument opposed

Skills shortages re overblown. Companies may be anxious about hiring and training long-term unemployed.

Impact

If enacted, the bill might increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities and job-training opportunities for skilled manufacturing positions. This in turn might lead to a job increase, though assessments vary in regard to the need for skills-based manufacturing workers.

Cost of H.R. 4541

A CBO cost estimate is not currently available.

Additional Info

Of Note: 

-This bill is part of "Manufacturing Jobs for America," a massive, forty-bill initiative launched by twenty-two senators and aimed at modernizing U.S. manufacturing.