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  last friday, the labor department announced that the u.s. economy had enjoyed a record 76 consecutive months with job gains. yet at the same time, the u.s. chamber of commerce reports that 5.6 million jobs remain unfilled because of a pernicious "skills gap" -- or mismatch between employers' needs and workers' abilities. in a business roundtable survey, 45 percent of c-suite executives say hiring is particularly difficult in so-called stem fields, those requiring expertise in science, technology, engineering and math. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  college graduates themselves are no less concerned: a national survey commissioned by northeastern university found that just 14 percent of recent college graduates believe their education prepared them to work with artificial intelligence and robotics -- innovations poised to transform the american workplace.
article_headline: how companies and colleges can get the u.s. back to work