As reported by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the United States economy has entered its 98th month of expansion. Even so, several states are facing declining populations despite their booming industries. This could indicate the use of ineffective means to hire – placing ads, indicating the needed skills and offering the wage they want to pay. In Silicon Valley, where finding affordable housing has become a major problem, companies may need to get directly involved with employee housing or begin offering significantly higher wages. And yet for others, despite the stigma it carries, it means looking to hire some of the 600,000 people who get out of jail each year. One company, Erickson Cos., has been recruiting directly from corrections department job fairs for prisoners nearing release, placing them in the skilled-labor industry.
