America Works Initiative
Helping your company and our country solve our workforce challenges.
America is facing a worker shortage crisis: There are too many open jobs without people to fill them. The result: Too many businesses can’t grow, compete, and thrive. And too many workers can't realize their American dreams.
Through the America Works Initiative, we’re helping employers across the country develop and discover talent to fill open jobs and grow our economy.
Explore related topics
Understanding America's Labor Shortage
Understanding the problem
Discover the latest data on job openings, unemployment, labor force participation, quit rates, and more, for a quick understanding of the current state of the workforce—paired with in-depth analysis of the trends.
Become a member
U.S. Chamber members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations.
Learn more about how your business can become a member.
Understanding the Problem
Report
America’s woefully inadequate immigration system is directly contributing to the worker shortage crisis and hindering American business operations.
Join the #AmericaWorks Conversation
Make your voice heard. Ask Congress to take action to close the skills gap, grow our country’s workforce, and keep America’s economy strong.
Resources and Guides
U.S. Chamber Foundation Programs to Help Your Company
- Develop your talent pipelineThe U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) helps employers partner with educators and economic development leaders to make sure future workers are learning the right skills to meet employer needs.Learn More
- Hire from the military communityThe U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) program connects companies with military community talent through world-class hiring events and fellowship programs.Learn More
- Use data to find the perfect matchJoin the more than 500 organizations using the latest tech and data to better match people with the right jobs through the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Jobs and Employment Data Exchange (JEDx) and T3 Innovation Network.Learn More
- Invest differently in upskilling and trainingTake a new approach to paying for education and skills training to create more opportunity, more inclusion, and more jobs with the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Talent Finance initiative.Learn More
Case Studies
- Developing Essential Nursing Talent in PhoenixUsing the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s TPM strategy, the Hospital Workforce Collaborative in Arizona teamed up with local community colleges to train needed specialty nurses.Learn More
- Workforce Readiness and Reentry Program at BlackburnA unique program is creating pathways to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals in the equine industry in Kentucky using the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s TPM strategy.Learn More
- An Industry-Leading Training Model in AutomotiveUsing the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s TPM strategy, a Toyota training program is meeting industry demand for automotive technicians.Learn More
America Works Policy Priorities
Feature story
Business Roundtable, SHRM, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are joining forces to help American businesses find and hire talented workers based on their skills, not just their degrees, to boost the economy and create more job opportunities.
We are calling on elected officials at the federal and state level to take immediate action to help address this national economic crisis.
Get in Touch
The U.S. Chamber is here to help. Get in touch today to learn more about our workforce programs.
Latest Content
More small businesses report difficulty finding the right workers, most support vaccine requirements and see long road to return to normal
According to the latest state employment data, only two states have grown employment since the pandemic started.
Discover is creating a 100,000+ square foot customer care center that will provide nearly 1,000 full-time jobs for the community.
We are calling on elected officials and the federal and state level to take immediate action to help address this national economic crisis.
Here’s how diversity, equity, and inclusion can benefit businesses and communities across America.
The pandemic has had a significant impact on both business travel and leisure travel. Here’s what businesses need to know about travel beyond COVID-19.
The pandemic altered how and where people work. Here’s how businesses can adapt their workforce development and management strategies to deal with the changes.
Manufacturing and healthcare businesses find solutions in Chamber’s innovative talent pipeline programs.
This report explores the benefits to employers that hire formerly incarcerated individuals, identifies barriers to entry for those with criminal convictions, highlights programs and organizations working to break down these barriers, and discusses developments concerning state and federal legislation that supports second and fair chance hiring.
“We have to get serious about removing barriers to filling these open jobs.” The following statement can be attributed to the Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, on the latest job openings report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).