In episode 210, Coffey talks with economist Richard Froeschle about the US economy and how generational demographics are affecting the labor force.

They discuss the impact of tariff-related economic uncertainty on the labor market; challenges in the quality of federal statistical data; AI’s impact on entry-level positions and experienced workers; generational workforce composition; rising reservation wages and skills mismatches among recent graduates; the importance of work-based learning and trades education; remote work patterns in different workforce segments; challenges with mentorship and feedback for younger workers in a remote workforce; and immigration's critical role in addressing labor force needs.

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About our Guest:

Rich Froeschle is a labor market economist and a highly regarded speaker on a wide array of topics relating to the Texas economy, regional labor markets, and workforce and education programs. He is the Senior Labor Market Economist for Texas State Technical College and the former Director of the Labor Market and Career Information department of the Texas Workforce Commission.

 Mr. Froeschle has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s degree in Manpower and Industrial Relations from the University of North Texas, where he also taught microeconomics and regional labor market analysis. He has made presentations at over 600 conference events over the past twenty-five years on a variety of labor market topics. His many writings include the books How Many is Enough? A Practitioners Guide to Occupational Targeting and Supply/Demand Analysis and Where the Jobs Are, plus a dozen monographs including Life After COVID: Economic & Job Market Phenomena to Ponder Post-pandemic. His most recent research has centered on the use of skills to understand regional labor market dynamics, educational alignment, and career progressions.

Richard Froeschle can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-froeschle-01a87b13/

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. 

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. 

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.

 Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. 

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Implement strategic workforce planning for talent development pathways considering demographics and the impact of AI.

2. Address the skills mismatch between educational credentials and market demand.

3. Develop structured mentorship and feedback systems that accommodate generational communication preferences while ensuring knowledge transfer from experienced to emerging workers.