The Changing Workforce The composition of the modern labor force is changing rapidly. Increasing diversity in race, ethnicity, and gender, a shift in age distribution, and a shift in the skill levels required of the workforce have created new challenges for human resource professionals. It is critical for human resource managers to be aware of the changing trends in workforce composition because these trends will impact the organization's options for creating an internal labor force with the skills and motivation to help the organization gain a competitive advantage Read the case below and answer the questions that follow Jennifer thought she had done a good job as her company's HR director in terms of forecasting employee needs, but there were clearly some trends that she had not anticipated. The most significant of these trends was the huge increase in the number of immigrants now living in the local community. Although these newcomers were willing and capable of performing many jobs in the company's plant, there were some definite issues with language and cultural differences.
Jennifer also sensed some reservation on the part of long-time employees toward accepting the newcomers. Jennifer now knows she needs to be proactive in preventing workforce issues and making the best use of this new group of potential employees. Which of the following is not a trend in the composition of the labor force impacting HRM practices today?
a. skills needed have shifted away from physical strength
b. older workers are staying in the workforce longer
c. younger workers between 16 and 24 will be fewer
d. asian and other groups are the fastest growing category
e. more women are in the pald labor force than in the past