US workforce

A New York Times report describes the CDC as 'zombified', saying the agency has lost its independence and nearly a third of its workforce, leaving it struggling to fulfill its scientific mission. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his associates are said to have tightened control over the agency. Commenters online are sharing the article widely, expressing alarm about the erosion of US public health capacity.

The US housing sector is short roughly 300,000 skilled trades workers, according to new statistics from IndexBox. The shortage of electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other construction workers is constraining homebuilding at a time when housing supply remains tight, pushing up labor costs and delaying projects. Industry analysts point to an aging workforce and too few apprentices entering the trades as key drivers of the gap.

Immigration enforcement operations in Kansas are disrupting the state's beef processing industry, a key part of the US meat supply chain. Reports indicate plants are facing workforce shortages as workers stay away following raids, raising concerns about production slowdowns and the economic impact on meatpacking communities.