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CNBC
16-07-2025
- Business
- CNBC
These are the best states for workers in America in 2025
For all its perils, artificial intelligence appears to have helped alleviate a longstanding problem in American business. Since around 2017, other than the brief spike in unemployment during the pandemic, there were far too few workers to fill the available jobs in the U.S. But in April, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nationwide labor shortage pretty much ended. Thanks to the combination of a cooling job market, people finally returning to work following the pandemic, and AI taking over an increasing number of human tasks, the skills gap "has largely closed," the Chamber says. As of May, there were 7.2 million workers available to fill 7.4 million jobs. While that still represents a modest shortage, it is a far cry from 2021 and 2022, during the so-called "Great Resignation," when the shortages routinely totaled in the millions. That is not to say that the U.S. does not still have a people problem. Worker shortages are still severe in some states, and economic development experts say the workforce is still a key consideration when companies make decisions about where to locate. "The base of employment here is just not sufficient in the U.S.," said Tom Stringer, a principal and leader of the site selection and incentive practice at Grassi Advisors in New York. "We need a whole of government approach to start getting folks technical skills and trained and out into the workforce, and that's in every location." Some states are meeting the challenge, according to CNBC's annual study, America's Top States for Business. Workforce is one of ten categories of competitiveness on which we rank every state, worth about 13% of a state's total score under this year's methodology. We consider the educational attainment of each state's workforce, and the concentration of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workers in each state. We also look at the career education pipeline, state workforce training programs, and workers with industry-recognized certificates. We look at each state's right-to-work laws. We consider which states are most successful in attracting skilled workers, and we measure the productivity of each state's labor force. While most did not make this year's list of the nation's best for all-around quality of life, these ten states are winning the talent war in 2025. The Volunteer State is a leader in helping its workers find gainful employment. According to data reported by the state to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 82% of participants completing the state's worker training programs found employment within six months in 2023, the most recent data available. That is one of the best success rates in the nation. The Governor's Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) program invests $25 million to help fund partnerships between industry and the state's high schools and vocational schools. 2025 Workforce Score: 214 out of 335 points (Top States Grade: B) Net Migration Rank: No. 14 Adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 30.4% Career Education Credential: 35.4% of degrees or certificates awarded STEM Workers: 5.3% Right to Work State? Yes The Beehive State gets its nickname from the industriousness of its workers, and those workers are functioning at a high level. Utah has among the highest concentrations of STEM workers of any state, many of them working in the fast-growing Silicon Slopes region near Salt Lake City. Since its creation in 2019, the state's Utah Works program says it has provided 200,000 hours of specialized training to prepare workers for advanced industries. 2025 Workforce Score: 215 out of 335 points (Top States Grade: B) Net Migration Rank: No. 48 Adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 36.9% Career Education Credential: 30.3% of degrees or certificates awarded STEM Workers: 7.9% Right to Work State? Yes Workers in the Constitution State are consistently among the most productive in the nation, accounting for more than $171,000 in economic output per job last year, according to CNBC's analysis of U.S. Labor Department and Commerce Department data. Connecticut also boasts one of America's most educated workforces, according to Census data. 2025 Workforce Score: 216 out of 335 points (Top States Grade: B) Net Migration Rank: No. 33 Adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 41.9% Career Education Credential: 22.4% of degrees or certificates awarded STEM Workers: 6.9% Right to Work State? No The Centennial State's workforce is the second most educated in America, after Massachusetts. A report issued in January by Colorado's Workforce Development Council warned that the state still faces worker shortages, which demographics could make worse as more baby boomers retire. So, the state is working on increasing access to education and training. Last year, the state passed Colorado Promise, a tax credit covering the first two years of Colorado public postsecondary institution tuition and fees for students with family incomes of $90,000 or less. 2025 Workforce Score: 222 out of 335 points (Top States Grade: B) Net Migration Rank: No. 18 Adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 44.7% Career Education Credential: 39.6% of degrees or certificates awarded STEM Workers: 9.3% Right to Work State? While not considered a right to work law, the Colorado Labor Peace Act limits unions' ability to require a "closed shop." In May, Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, vetoed an attempt to repeal the law and give unions more power to organize. Educated workers are flocking to the Grand Canyon State. The Census Bureau estimates nearly 92,000 adults with bachelor's degrees or higher moved to the state in 2023, while only about 52,000 left for greener pastures. Arizona has a healthy balance of tech and skilled trade workers. But the state's workforce development programs could use some development. More than a quarter of workers completing state-sponsored training were unable to find a job within six months. 2025 Workforce Score: 228 out of 335 points (Top States Grade: B+) Net Migration Rank: No. 5 Adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 32.6% Career Education Credential: 37.8% of degrees or certificates awarded STEM Workers: 6.6% Right to Work State? Yes Workers in the Evergreen State are the nation's most productive by far, accounting for more than $191,000 in economic activity per job last year. Washington also boasts America's highest concentration of STEM jobs. Washington STEM, a statewide non-profit organization now in its 25th year, aims to get kids started early in the STEM fields. The group said that in 2024, its early education STEM grants impacted some 10,000 students statewide. 2025 Workforce Score: 229 out of 335 points (Top States Grade: B+) Net Migration Rank: No. 9 Adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 38.8% Career Education Credential: 43.8% of degrees or certificates awarded STEM Workers: 10.5% Right to Work State? No Educated workers vote with their feet, and they've made the Tar Heel State their third-most popular destination. In 2023, North Carolina tied with Texas for net migration, just behind Florida and Maine. The state Department of Commerce predicts there will be plenty of opportunity to go around, with North Carolina employers projected to add 500,000 jobs between 2022 and 2032. 2025 Workforce Score: 243 out of 335 points (Top States Grade: A–) Net Migration Rank: No. 3 Adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 34.7% Career Education Credential: 41.9% of degrees or certificates awarded STEM Workers: 7.3% Right to Work State? Yes The Peach State is a leader in career education, with associate's degrees and industry-recognized certificates comprising nearly 43% of all post-secondary credentials awarded statewide, according to Advance CTE, a national non-profit advocating for career education. Nearly one-quarter of high school students are focused on vocational fields. At the same time, Georgia ranks in the top half of states for the percentage of adults with bachelor's degrees or higher. 2025 Workforce Score: 250 out of 335 points (Top States Grade: A–) Net Migration Rank: No. 7 Adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 34.2% Career Education Credential: 42.6% of degrees or certificates awarded STEM Workers: 5.9% Right to Work State? Yes The Sunshine State remains a magnet for talent, leading the nation in net migration. But Florida also pays attention to its workers after they arrive. The state's worker training programs are among the most effective in the nation, according to data the state reported to the U.S. Department of Labor. Eighty-six percent of participants in the state's worker training program found a job within six months. That is the fifth-best record of any state. 2025 Workforce Score: 255 out of 335 points (Top States Grade: A) Net Migration Rank: No. 1 Adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 33.2% Career Education Credential: 49.3% of degrees or certificates awarded STEM Workers: 5.4% Right to Work State? Yes The Lone Star State's workforce is the state's biggest bright spot when it comes to business competitiveness. In fact, it is the best all-around workforce in the country. Despite quality of life issues, people just keep pouring into Texas to take advantage of the many opportunities there. But the state also has a rich pipeline of homegrown talent. More than 70% of Texas high school students are concentrating in career-related fields — by far the highest percentage in the nation. But Texas also has a large contingent of STEM workers — the 13th highest concentration in the country. The Texas workforce finishes in the top ten for productivity, with the average worker responsible for more than $153,000 in economic output last year. Texas could do better with its worker training programs, a difficult task to manage in a state with more than 14 million workers. Still, for companies looking for a large pool of talent, everything is indeed bigger in Texas. 2025 Workforce Score: 272 out of 335 points (Top States Grade: A+) Net Migration Rank: No. 3 Adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 33.1% Career Education Credential: 43.4% of degrees or certificates awarded STEM Workers: 7.1% Right to Work State? Yes
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Newsweek
New York Gun Violence Hits Record Low: What To Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday that gun violence in the state has reached its lowest level since 2006, when the state began tracking this data. In communities participating in the state's Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative, the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) reported a 15 percent decline in shooting victims and a 9 percent decline in shootings resulting in injury from January 1 to April 30 compared to the same period last year, the governor's office said in a press release. Governor Kathy Hochul announces Fiscal 2026 budget investments in subway safety at Grand Central Terminal on May 1, 2025, in New York City. Governor Kathy Hochul announces Fiscal 2026 budget investments in subway safety at Grand Central Terminal on May 1, 2025, in New York City. NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx Why It Matters The data comes from 28 police departments outside of New York City participating in the GIVE initiative. These police departments report around 90 percent of violent crimes involving firearms outside New York City. The initiative aims at reducing shootings and other firearm-related crimes by providing state funding to local law enforcement agencies for equipment, overtime and personnel. It also provides training and technical assistance to those agencies. What To Know The police departments involved in the GIVE initiative include Albany Police Department, Binghamton Police Department, Auburn Police Department, Jamestown Police Department, Elmira Police Department, Poughkeepsie Police Department, Amherst Police Department and Buffalo Police Department. Cheektowaga Police Department, Lackawanna Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Greece Police Department, Rochester Police Department, Hempstead Police Department, Nassau County Police Department and Niagara Falls Police Department also participate in the GIVE initiative. Other law enforcement agencies following the GIVE initiative are Utica Police Department, Syracuse Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Newburgh Police Department, Troy Police Department, Spring Valley Police Department, Schenectady Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, Ithaca Police Department, Kingston Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department and Yonkers Police Department. Between January and April, these departments reported 156 shooting victims, down from 183 during the same period last year. Since 2021, when Hochul took office, shootings in New York are down 50 percent and murders are down 30 percent, the release said. What People Are Saying New York Governor Kathy Hochul, in a statement: "Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority. Since taking office, my administration has been laser focused on eliminating gun violence and reducing the number of gun-related injuries and fatalities across the State. Our efforts are working, and I am committed to continuing our record level support for gun violence prevention initiatives in our most impacted communities to ensure all New Yorkers are safe." DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado, in a statement: "New York's strategy is working because it's grounded in data, backed by funding, and built on strong partnerships. We are proud to support our law enforcement and community partners with the tools they need to make every neighborhood safer." What Happens Next Hochul's office said that the 2026 fiscal year budget will build on public safety efforts, including $347 million allocated to gun violence programs and continued funding for DCJS initiatives that support local law enforcement, community-based violence prevention and victim services. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Falls police arrest two during Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) operation
Falls police, with assistance from Niagara County Sheriff's Office deputies and Niagara County Probation officers, disrupted activity at a pair of city drug houses during an operation conducted last week as part of New York State's GIVE (Gun Involved Violence Elimination) initiative. In addition to enhanced patrols at 'drug hot spots' in the city, the task force of officers and deputies also executed a pair of search warrants in the 500 block of 20th Street and the 1000 block of 19th Street. Narcotics and Intelligence Division detectives said their targeted suspect was not at 545 20th St. when they came knocking on Thursday. However, investigators said they did not leave empty-handed after seizing a quantity of what was described as ammunition, quantities of suspected cocaine and suspected fentanyl, along with drug paraphernalia. Detectives said half a dozen people were located inside the home, which had reportedly been the subject of numerous neighborhood complaints. Neighbors said it was a frequent site for large gatherings and that they had observed 'drug activity and illegal gambling' outside the residence. Police said they arrested Claude Wilson, 47, of the Falls, on an outstanding arrest warrant issued by a Niagara Falls City Court judge. Also arrested on 19th Street was Dominique Hilson, 30, of the Falls. A pair of sheriff's investigators spotted Hilson standing across 20th Street, watching the activity and confirmed that she was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant issued out of Erie County. Hilson was taken into custody without incident. Officers and deputies also did not did not get their targeted suspect at 1015 19th St. Investigators said that property, which has previously been condemned, has also been the subject of numerous neighborhood complaints regarding drug activity. Investigators said they seized drug paraphernalia and ammunition from that location. The GIVE initiative represents a million-dollar-plus investment in reducing gun violence in the Falls. The city has received a 2024-25 grant allocation of $1,228,947 as part of a more than $36 million state-wide allocation for a program. GIVE has been credited with producing a two-year drop in incidents of gun violence, including a 37% reduction in shooting incidents in the state in 2024, compared to a five-year average. State officials have also said that the grant funding has led to a record number of illegal firearms seizures. The 2024-25 GIVE funding for Falls police represents a slight decrease from the $1.24 million contained in the 2023-24 grant. That money was part of a $2.18 million grant to Niagara County law enforcement agencies that included the Niagara County District Attorney's Office, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office and Niagara County Probation. Give operations rely heavily on data-driven crime responses, utilizing information compiled and analyzed by the Niagara Intelligence & Crime Analysis Center (NICAC). Falls police have said that data analysis allows them to better patrol the Cataract City streets by allowing them to identify what they describe as crime 'Hot Spots.' The grant also fully funds the work of a Falls Criminal Investigation Division (CID) detective who works solely on non-fatal shooting cases. GIVE also funds a multi-faceted community outreach program. Falls Police Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari, who previously, in his role as a police captain, supervised the NFPD GIVE initiative, has described it as 'a multi-agency, evidence-based, enforcement program.' The New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which funds GIVE, describes it as 'a key component of New York state's shooting and homicide reduction strategy.' The program, now in its 11th year, focuses on four core elements, which DCJS says are people, places, alignment and engagement. GIVE jurisdictions are required to use a policing framework known as Problem-Oriented Policing (POP). DCJS says the key components of POP are hotspots policing, focused deterrence, street outreach, and a concept called Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design looks at how the design of buildings, landscaping and outdoor environments can either encourage or discourage crime. In a description of the program, DCJS said GIVE 'is directed at preventative and enforcement efforts on top offenders who have been identified as being responsible for most shootings and homicides or aggravated assaults.' The program is designed to focus on 'preventative and enforcement efforts on the geographic locations (hot spots) where crime data and analysis demonstrate that most shootings and homicides or aggravated assaults occur.' Funding is provided to 28 police departments, district attorney's offices, probation departments and sheriff's offices in the 21 counties outside of New York City that have been hit the hardest by gun violence and violent crime. The funding for 2024-25 is the highest level in the program's history.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mercantil Banco adopts Galileo's digital platform
Mercantil Banco has collaborated with Galileo Financial Technologies to support its digital transformation. The bank will utilise Galileo's Cyberbank Digital platform to ramp up product 'innovation' and improve customer service offerings. This initiative is expected to reshape the interaction between Mercantil Banco and its customers by providing a secure digital banking environment. The Cyberbank Digital platform will enable Mercantil Banco to deliver customised, mobile-friendly services, which are designed to enhance customer satisfaction while streamlining operational processes. The platform's flexible architecture allows the bank to adapt quickly to market changes without the need for extensive system upgrades. Mercantil Banco technology and digital transformation vice president Elsy Herrera said: 'We chose Galileo for their proven track record, robust platform and the flexibility that Cyberbank Digital offers. 'The ability to leverage the product, while also having the extensibility to continuously innovate, was a decisive factor.' This signifies the start of a 'strategic' alliance to develop the 'next generation' of services for both consumer and corporate clients of Mercantil Banco. Furthermore, the long-term nature of this partnership guarantees continuous support and innovation, allowing Mercantil Banco to remain responsive to changing market demands, stated the tech vendor. Galileo Financial Technologies CEO Derek White said: 'Our mission is to transform digital banking and revolutionise customer experience. 'With Cyberbank Digital, Mercantil Banco will be able to offer cutting-edge services that meet the needs of its customers in an ever-evolving digital environment.' In September 2024, Galileo launched the Galileo Instant Verification Engine (GIVE) and Transaction Risk GScore, providing fintechs, banks, and businesses with tools to combat fraud. "Mercantil Banco adopts Galileo's digital platform" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GIVE donates $20,000 to Children's Advocacy Center of Smith County
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – Girls Invested In Volunteer Efforts, also known as GIVE, celebrated their tenth anniversary on Sunday by awarding their largest grant ever to the Children's Advocacy Center of Smith County. East Texas Better Business Bureau shreds over 30,000 pounds of documents at Shred Day event GIVE, a group of high school girls modeled off of the Women's Fund of Smith County, raised money for the $20,000 grant by selling handmade bracelets. The grant will help fund a new play therapist at the Children's Advocacy Center of Smith County. 'The Children's Advocacy Center is going to use the $20,000 to fund a play therapist for their initiatives that they do in Smith County,' GIVE chair Christi Khalaf said. 'So it's going to mean a lot to get someone that can work with the younger age group and to impact and children in that area.' The CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System even chipped into the grant by matching the funds raised by GIVE. To learn more, visit GIVE online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
