Monday Mar 24, 2025

The CAT5 Labor Tsunami (and the Industries most effected) with Ron Hetrick from Lightcast Episode #260

The Labor Market Tsunami You Didn’t See Coming: The Rising Storm

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Buckle up, folks—this podcast isn’t your average snooze-fest about workforce trends. It’s a razor-sharp, caffeine-fueled dive into the chaotic mess that is today’s labor market. From humidity horror stories to a full-on dissection of the impending "Rising Storm" (yes, it’s a published paper, and yes, it’s as intense as it sounds), this episode is a wild ride through the demographic dumpster fire threatening to sink industries faster than you can say "Boomer retirement.”

Weather Woes & Southern Sweat
The episode kicks off with a brutal reality check: southern humidity isn’t just weather—it’s a full-contact sport. Think waterboarding by nature, where stepping outside feels like drowning in your own sweat. It’s the perfect chaotic prelude to the labor storm brewing on the horizon.

The Rising Storm Unveiled
Enter The Rising Storm, the book that’s less a gentle forecast and more a screaming siren about the labor market’s impending doom. It’s the evolution of "Demographic Drought" and "Who’s Going to Do the Work?"—research so sharp it could cut through corporate BS like a hot knife through butter. Spoiler: a tsunami’s coming, and it’s not bringing surfboards.

Hurricane of Labor Shortages
Picture this: a Category 5 labor hurricane barreling toward us, with outer bands already smacking us silly (looking at you, 2021-22). The culprit? Boomers clocking out faster than you can say "retirement party," leaving a gaping hole no one’s ready to fill. It’s not just a shortage—it’s a full-on crisis, and the clock’s ticking.

Cat 5 Industries: Construction & Healthcare
Here’s where the rubber meets the road—or rather, where the storm slams the shore. Construction and healthcare get the Cat 5 label because they’re screwed: local talent only, skillsets required, and no AI or outsourcing to save the day. Meanwhile, IT and finance are sipping cocktails in Cat 1 land, barely noticing the drizzle. Harsh? Maybe. True? You bet.

Healthcare’s ER Meltdown
Healthcare’s a hot mess, and the ER is ground zero. With 70% of visits being unnecessary (thanks, hypochondriacs!), burnout’s rampant, and home health aides are the only growth industry that doesn’t pay squat. It’s a grim preview of a dependent population explosion by 2030—hope you like waiting rooms.

The Inconvenience Apocalypse
Remember 2021-22? Empty restaurant tables, uncleaned hotel rooms, and hospital beds with no nurses? That’s the labor shortage’s outer band, and it’s just a taste. Life’s about to get inconvenient as hell—adjust your expectations, or prepare to rage-quit society.

Trade Schools: The Great Snub
Why aren’t kids flocking to trade schools? Blame peer pressure, clueless guidance counselors, and parents who’d rather die than see their kid wield a wrench. “It’s hard” is the rallying cry of a generation that thinks offices are glamorous (spoiler: they’re not). The result? A construction crisis with no quick fix.

Teens Skipping the Grind
Teens today dodge first jobs like they’re allergic to minimum wage. With 4.4 million more 16-19-year-olds than the ‘60s but barely any working, we’ve lost the pipeline to trades and retail. No exposure, no interest—good luck filling those Cat 5 gaps.

Skills-Based Revolution
Enter the skills-based gospel: stop renting talent like it’s a cheap Airbnb and start drafting like the NFL. Companies that audit skills, not résumés, and invest in growth win loyalty. Those stuck in the “three years of SAP” trap? They’re just begging for turnover—and a reality check.

Dangers of the Diamond
Mid-level hiring obsession is the corporate equivalent of chasing fool’s gold. New grads? Too green. Seniors? Too old. Everyone wants the “sweet spot,” but 80% of job postings demand experience that locks out hungry talent. Spoiler: that diamond’s a dud—mentor, don’t poach.

Future-Proofing: Ditch the Crystal Ball
Forget chasing the “next big skill”—it’s a fool’s errand. Focus on core competencies, adjacent skills, and adaptability. That Python guru can learn R in a week, and your SAP snobbery is just costing you talent. Skills audits and taxonomies are the real MVPs here.

Lightcast: Labor Data Ninjas
Cue the shameless plug for Lightcast, the labor data wizards who’ll tell you exactly how many Python-SQL devs are up for grabs in San Diego—and what they’re worth. From skills breakdowns to market intel, they’re the secret weapon HR wishes it had time to use.

Wrap-Up & Humidity Redux
The storm’s still rising, but at least the humidity’s holding off ‘til May. Grab The Rising Storm (linked below) for the full scoop—it’s 50 pages of brilliance with graphics even your boss can handle. Or hit Spotify for the audio version if reading’s too 20th century.

Resources

The Rising Storm Report: – Dive into the labor tsunami, complete with charts that’ll make your eyes pop.
Spotify Audio Version: – For when you’d rather listen to the apocalypse than read it.

Final Thought:
This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a wake-up call with attitude. The labor market’s about to get messier than a Category 5 hurricane in a trailer park, and if you’re not ready, good luck swimming. Tune in, wise up, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll survive the storm.

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