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BISMARCK — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and the state's Workforce Development Council unveiled a proposed legislative package meant to address the state's workforce shortages.
Employers across the state have struggled to find workers amid an extremely tight labor market. North Dakota's unemployment rate was just 2.2% as of September, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The plan released Wednesday, Oct. 26, would allocate more than $50 million in state funds to a series of workforce development programs.
The package includes:
- Nearly $25 million for a
marketing and recruitment campaign
that aims to attract workers from other states.
- $20 million for a grant program that local governments, economic development groups and other workforce entities could draw on to address regional labor demands.
- A $5 million expansion of the state's automation tax credit, which is meant to help businesses buy or lease equipment to automate manufacturing .
The proposal also includes lower allocations for technical training grants and workforce training for people in prison.
“With broad representation across multiple industries and all levels of government, the Workforce Development Council is uniquely suited to recommend solutions to our workforce challenge, which remains our No. 1 barrier to economic growth,” Burgum said in a news release.
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Any funding proposals will have to go through the Republican-led Legislature, which will meet for a regular session next year.
Lawmakers have shared an occasionally rocky relationship with Burgum in the past. The Legislature passed several measures to restrict the governor's emergency powers last session after Burgum attempted to unseat Republican incumbents as a donor during the 2020 election cycle. Earlier this year, a political committee that receives funding from Burgum promoted several Republican candidates running against GOP incumbents.
Burgum established the Workforce Development Council in 2017 to explore options for attracting and retaining workers in North Dakota. The board is made up of private business leaders and public officials.
