The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) requires the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to conduct periodic, independent evaluations to inform the effective operation of WIOA programs and services. To support the development of DOL's research portfolio, this scan describes four economic and policy developments with relevance for the public workforce system: economic trends and changes, industry and occupation changes due to technological advancement, remote workforce system services, and federal workforce policy trends.

The scan offers the following findings:

• Unemployment rates, labor participation rates, and projections for employment by industry have recently changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic's economic fallout, in some cases substantially.
• Advancements in technology were already inducing changes in the skills demanded in the labor market. Those changes are accelerating in the face of the pandemic and affect how every industry, as well as the workforce system, prepares workers for the jobs of the present and future.
• The pandemic necessitated the acceleration and expansion of remote and virtual workforce services.
• Recent federal policy efforts have promoted more integrated service delivery and greater accountability, and supported workers and employers in their recovery from the effects of the pandemic.