In a bid to raise stagnant wages in the US, President Obama has announced a strategy to boost training and employment in the field of high technology. A statement released by the White House revealed that over 500,000 vacancies are available in several IT industries, such as software development, as well as cyber-security, which are in increasing demand.
IT roles pay approximately 50 percent higher than other jobs in the private sector
The plan aims to provide assistance to local governments, so that they can in turn train high technology workers. In addition, over 300 employers have so far committed to supporting the initiative through training and hiring.
“Helping more Americans train and connect to these jobs is a key element of the president’s middle-class economics agenda”, White House Deputy Press Secretary Jennifer Friedman told the Associated Press.
IT roles pay approximately 50 percent higher than other jobs in the private sector, which makes this a key area for encouraging wage growth.
In the President’s weekly address on February 21, Obama also discussed the importance of businesses selling more goods and services to the rest of the world, particularly as exporters tend to pay their workers higher wages.
Despite unemployment figures falling to 5.5 percent in the lowest levels recorded since 2008 and job creation last year being the best since 1999, the economy continues to struggle with wage growth. Many of the roles, which can be attributed to the recent improvement in US unemployment figures, are for minimum wage jobs in the services industries, thereby reflecting the necessity for promoting better-paid roles.
