Hawaii’s labor force continues to shrink on this Labor Day, leading to fears of an even bigger workforce crisis ahead as the population ages, retires and dies and younger employees continue to leave for more affordable states.

Efforts continue to grow local workers — some as young as middle schoolers — by talking to them early about the benefits of joining a union training program in high school, forgoing college and student loans and getting a good-­paying job right out of high school, said Randy Perreira, executive director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii’s largest union with over 39,000 members.

Hawaii’s unionized teachers also are working with Hawaii industries to let students train for other jobs through “career academies” that don’t require college degrees, s

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