Megenhardt: Ohio lags behind the nation in pandemic job recovery

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Dave Megenhardt

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United Labor Agency (ULA) Executive Director David Megenhardt joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed how Ohio’s job market continues to lag behind pre-pandemic levels, despite a national job market that has more or less recovered.

Megenhardt estimated that Ohio has lost 6 percent to 7 percent of its workforce since the beginning of the pandemic and has not made a full recovery. He speculated this might be due to Ohio’s reliance on manufacturing, which continues to be affected by supply chain shortages. He also said there is a lack of quality jobs in Ohio, and the jobs that exist can be difficult to fill due to low wages and poor benefits.

Megenhardt explained the critical role unions play to improve wages, as well as provide quality trained workers to perform the work.

He also discussed the role the ULA plays to find people union jobs, and the nomination process for the Unsung Heroes of the Labor Movement award, which recognizes Ohio union members who work hard for their union, but receive little recognition.

Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.

America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.