Labor Markets Watch: Trade Wars, Industrial Agendas, and Workforce Readiness

Mounting policy uncertainty, new tariffs, and potential trade realignment threaten instability for businesses and the resilient US labor market. An essential question: Is the US workforce ready to meet these shifts?

Ambitions to reshore production and key supply chains—ranging from semiconductors and electric vehicles, to steel and critical minerals—face headwinds from persistent labor shortages, industrial constraints, and fast-evolving skill needs amid technological change.

Join our experts as we examine the feasibility of the administration’s industrial agenda and the labor market implications of potential policy changes impacting green energy, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing.

Gain insights on:

  • Trade policy uncertainty and its impact on the US economy and labor market.
  • Ambitions vs reality—Is there alignment between US industrial policy goals and current workforce capacity?
  • Shifting trade dynamics—and how they could redirect investment flows and reshape regional labor markets.
  • Sector risks and opportunities in green energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing.
  • AI, labor shortages, and skill gaps—how these challenges impact workforce competitiveness and the success of industrial policy initiatives.

Don't miss this essential conversation at the intersection of policy, trade, technology, and labor market transformation.

 Watch Full Recording
Mitchell Barnes Alexander Heil, PhD Jeanne Shu
Labor Markets Watch: Trade Wars, Industrial Agendas, and Workforce Readiness
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LABOR MARKETS WATCH

Labor Markets Watch: Trade Wars, Industrial Agendas, and Workforce Readiness

MAY 21, 2025

WATCH NOW

Mounting policy uncertainty, new tariffs, and potential trade realignment threaten instability for businesses and the resilient US labor market. An essential question: Is the US workforce ready to meet these shifts?

Ambitions to reshore production and key supply chains—ranging from semiconductors and electric vehicles, to steel and critical minerals—face headwinds from persistent labor shortages, industrial constraints, and fast-evolving skill needs amid technological change.

Join our experts as we examine the feasibility of the administration’s industrial agenda and the labor market implications of potential policy changes impacting green energy, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing.

Gain insights on:

  • Trade policy uncertainty and its impact on the US economy and labor market.
  • Ambitions vs reality—Is there alignment between US industrial policy goals and current workforce capacity?
  • Shifting trade dynamics—and how they could redirect investment flows and reshape regional labor markets.
  • Sector risks and opportunities in green energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing.
  • AI, labor shortages, and skill gaps—how these challenges impact workforce competitiveness and the success of industrial policy initiatives.

Don't miss this essential conversation at the intersection of policy, trade, technology, and labor market transformation.

Speakers

Mitchell Barnes

Mitchell Barnes

Economist
The Conference Board

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Alexander Heil, PhD

Alexander Heil, PhD

Senior Economist
The Conference Board

Read Bio

Jeanne Shu

Jeanne Shu (Moderator)

Strategic Projects Lead, Economy, Strategy & Finan…
The Conference Board

Read Bio

Labor Markets Watch

Labor Markets Watch is a webcast in which our expert labor market economists discuss current issues and the future outlook across the entire spectrum of labor markets. Expert thought leaders help executives better understand the macroeconomic landscape from a labor market perspective.

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