Generally, demographic trends can not be altered significantly, if at all, with local policies. However, it is necessary to be aware of the extent of their impact. And in some cases, policies may help on the margin, for example, by encouraging hiring or retaining older employees. Also, she points to a national slowing in the trend of rising labor force participation by women. Both trends impair labor force growth in the region.
Foreign immigrants follow friends and relatives.
Pittsburgh could seriously consider a policy of establishing new or reintroducing old pipelines of migratory flows from other countries. Not on ly could it begin to ease the tightening labor market, but it could increase demand for the region's older housing stock. In a dynamic economy, the types of jobs available are constantly changing. Anticipating and communicating employers' needs can speed local responses for job switches and timely retraining, but when all else fails, labor mobility will send local residents packing and local employers searching outside the region. If it is poorly managed, it reduces the success for both parties.