United Labor Agency on Job Market Trends and Northeast Ohio Workers

Dave Megenhardt, Executive Director of the United Labor Agency (ULA), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to provide some good news for workers in Northeast Ohio, as well as share his concern about the job market facing these same workers.

A ULA survey of 4,000 clients conducted over nine months yielded a 96 percent approval rating for the agency's services. On the market side, he described a hiring environment scrambled by AI uncertainty, gig-style healthcare work, and employers quietly holding back on headcount decisions. He also previewed a June 25 golf outing fundraiser at Pine Hills Golf Club in Hinckley, Ohio.

• A survey of 4,000 United Labor Agency clients over nine months produced a 96 percent approval rating, with respondents frequently singling out specific staff members by name. Megenhardt said the responses reflect his team's commitment to treating job seekers with dignity and respect at a time when many are under significant emotional and financial stress.
• Employers in healthcare and other sectors are quietly holding back on hiring as they evaluate how artificial intelligence can reduce headcount, while entry-level healthcare workers are increasingly forced to piece together multiple part-time jobs — none of which offer benefits — rather than advancing along a stable career pathway.

A 96 Percent Approval Rating — and the Work Behind It

Dave Megenhardt knows the people who walk into a United Labor Agency office are rarely having their best day. They may have just lost a job. They may be financially stretched. They may be dealing with the emotional weight of a disrupted career. That reality shapes everything about how the agency operates, and a recent ULA survey of 4,000 clients over nine months suggests the approach is working, he added.

Ninety-six percent of respondents rated the agency's services favorably. Many went further, naming specific staff members and describing the ways they went above and beyond. Megenhardt said the result validated what he already knew about his team, but having it confirmed in writing matters. The agency's mission depends on people trusting the process — and trust starts with being treated well on the way in.

A Job Market Scrambled by AI and Gig-Style Work

The job market Megenhardt is navigating on behalf of those clients is, in his words, scrambled. Demand exists in sectors like healthcare and manufacturing, but companies are holding back on hiring as they try to determine how artificial intelligence can reduce staffing. This isn’t a message they deliver publicly, but a pattern the agency recognizes, he said. The uncertainty is causing hesitation at exactly the moment workers need employers to move forward.

In healthcare, the disconnect between available jobs and quality jobs is particularly sharp. Entry-level positions exist, but breaking into full-time work with stable hours and benefits is increasingly difficult, Megenhardt said. Workers who cannot land a full-time position end up stitching together multiple part-time jobs across multiple employers — a pattern that looks like a career pathway but functions more like gig work, with no benefits, no stability and no reliable route to advancement, he added.

The United Labor Agency's response is to focus on what Megenhardt called good jobs employers — organizations that provide real wages, real benefits and real opportunities for workers to build on their experience. Connecting job seekers to employers and screening out arrangements that leave people worse off than before is where the agency puts its energy.

Lake County Job Fair Draws Over 40 Employers

The morning of the podcast, Megenhardt's team had just wrapped a job fair at the Lake County Fairgrounds, located about 30 miles east of Cleveland. More than 40 Lake County employers turned out, representing manufacturing, healthcare and other high-demand sectors. Megenhardt said the event provided job seekers direct access to hiring employers and also built relationships with those employers that extend past the event itself.

Not every job seeker who attends a fair walks out with a job offer, and not every employer fills a position that day. But the connections made among the agency, job seekers and participating employers generate a month's worth of follow-up matching work. It is, Megenhardt said, less a single event than the starting point for an ongoing recruiting process.

Ohio Means Jobs Is Moving — Here Is Where to Find It

Megenhardt said listeners who use the Ohio Means Jobs office in downtown Cleveland need to know it is moving. The office’s current parking lot is being acquired for a road construction project, rendering the location impractical. The new home for Ohio Means Jobs will be a rehabbed building in Midtown near 61st Street. It will have ample parking and solid highway access from both the east and west sides. The move is scheduled for July 1.

Megenhardt was upfront that office relocations take time to filter through to the people who need the services. Getting the word out now, he said, is a priority so clients are not left looking for a door that is no longer there.

Golf Outing on June 25 at Pine Hills

The United Labor Agency's annual golf outing is set for June 25 at Pine Hills Golf Club in Hinckley, Ohio. Proceeds go directly to the agency's job placement, career counseling and mental health services. Megenhardt extended the invitation broadly — skill level, he was clear, is not a barrier to entry. Golfers and non-golfers alike can support the agency through the event or by donating directly at ulagency.org.

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