Before the Covid-19 pandemic, several macro-economic trends related to talent availability and skill requirements were already underway and expected to be realized over the next 10-15 years. At the start of 2020, the U.S. was experiencing the lowest unemployment rates since 2000 at just more than 4 percent, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), driven by a labor demand that was outpacing supply, particularly within skilled positions.