Busy day today, but making time for this nonsense @nytimes skills gap piece because it's important to understand what's actually going on here.

For the life of me, I don't understand how you dedicate that many words to describe what's happening in the labor market right now without mentioning power (or even labor supply generally), even in passing, even accidentally.

Let me be clear: We are in the midst of a PANDEMIC that has caused people to lose their jobs for reasons having nothing to do with their skills. Again, people are losing their jobs because of the PANDEMIC.

Btw, even that massive job loss is a policy choice. Companies could've furloughed people, implemented work sharing at higher rates, etc., but most employment in the US is at-will (another BAD policy choice!) which makes it harder for sensible labor policy to happen.

Which brings me back to the skills gap and power. When you see skills gap concerns popping up immediately after a big spike in unemployment, what you're actually watching is the power dynamic in the workplace shift in real time, in favor of employers

Employers have gained more power seemingly overnight, which they can then wield by becoming choosier abt who they hire (see, the still-rising Black male unemployment rate)—and stingier w/ wages. And just like that, the job you needed a HS diploma for yesterday requires a BA today

There are plenty of good reasons to go back to school during a recession. If you'd been planning go anyway, it makes some sense to do it when wages are low. But the idea that workers are not skilled enough for the labor market that welcomed them 4 months ago is just false.