Rightsizing the Workforce: Changing Roles of Vocational Psychology

This article briefly defines rightsizing the workforce and discusses the rightsizing dilemma in relation to the current economic downturn in the United States, its disparate effects on citizens, and implications for potential shifting roles for vocational psychologists. Next, the discussion will highlight disenfranchised or marginalized groups that have been affected by unemployment and then identify potentially relevant questions that can be drawn from ongoing work in vocational psychology. Finally, there is a discussion of predicted changes in the U.S. demographics over the next 40 years that might influence the size of the working population. The article will conclude with some compelling questions about potential changes in the role of vocational psychologists in rightsizing the workforce.