Workforce Development/Integration is broken
Between the gamification of the system (fraud) and AI it is almost impossible for an honest and hard-working person to get past the gatekeepers (for example, the ATS) of employers. Some industries are being replaced by AI while others have embraced it as an imperfect (and, quite often, faulty) screening tool. Have you been interviewed by a computer yet? If not, you probably will be in the future.
Competition is fierce-so many people are chasing fewer jobs…yet, many employers argue that they can’t find enough workers (another topic for another day!). Networking is fine (and should always be done) but it takes more than that now. There could be work beyond your current sphere (emphasis on ‘could’, not ‘will be’ or for ‘everyone’ but could exist for some). Have you looked outside of the metro areas for work?