Scott Walker

Not Working: Solutions to America's Underemployment Crisis

Nicholas Kristof, Rev. Greg Boyle, Alan Krueger, Kris Stadelman, Cyrus Vance, Jr., Scott Walker, David Batts

The discussion outlines a shifting U.S. labor landscape defined by an underemployment crisis driven by population aging, skill obsolescence, and systemic barriers in the criminal justice system. Speakers contrast failed national approaches with successful state-level interventions, citing Wisconsin's strategies of workforce development and Wisconsin's restoration of pension systems to achieve a top-10 national participation rate. The panel concludes with a consensus on the necessity of comprehensive, trauma-informed policies targeting early childhood, prison education, and localized service hubs to leverage an emerging labor shortage for social rehabilitation.