Employers on the Ground

Tariffs and trade conflicts are likely responsible for the recent slowdown in manufacturing. But their impact has not yet trickled down to the rest of economy. The national unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, and confident consumers are still snapping open their wallets, and employers are searching for more workers.

“I’m never at full employment,” said Frank Lopez , executive vice president and chief human resources officer for Ryder System, which has 800 locations throughout North America.

Explosive growth over the past five years has increased his company’s appetite for skilled workers, particularly drivers and diesel mechanics. “I’m looking for 400 to 500 drivers at any given time,” he said.

To cope, the truck leasing, maintenance and logistics company has stepped up its efforts to develop its own talent pool, looking to recruit students right out of high school and service members finishing up military tours. It has established a partnership with Women in Trucking, a trade association, to attract more women to the industry.

“Someone can start out pumping fuel and washing trucks and become a trained mechanic,” Mr. Lopez said.

The tight job market is continuing to pull in workers from the sidelines. The labor force participation rate of African-American teenagers, for example, rose last month. Diane Swonk , chief economist at Grant Thornton, cited the improvement as evidence that the recovery is “finally getting into some parts of the economy that were left behind.”