'Zero job' economy: 11 ways Washington can fix it

A stagnant job market has ramped up the pressure on President Obama and Congress to come up with solutions. What can be done? Here are 11 proposals.

9. Training for the unemployed

Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor/File
Lillian Velez celebrates after completing a job retraining course run by the YMCA in Boston on Jan 15, 2010.

An important challenge is that new opportunities are often arising in fields wholly different from the ones where workers already have skills and experience. The solution can include initiatives involving businesses, schools, and governments in a bid to match jobless workers with the most useful skills.

Community colleges and vocational schools have already built close ties with local employers, but labor economists say more should be done on this front.

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