What do workforce indicators say about Cincinnati?
Does the Cincinnati region fit in with Ohio’s image?
Recently, the Economics Center’s research team tackled the question of how Cincinnati’s workforce compares to Ohio’s image. Often, perceptions of Ohio are dominated by its association with the Rust Belt and its history of agriculture. While “Ohio” is often thought of as being strongly influenced by the three “C”s – Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus – these three areas are much different from each other and from Ohio as a whole. So how does Cincinnati distinguish itself from Ohio? What are the characteristics of the region’s workforce? How is Cincinnati progressing compared to Ohio as a whole? To answer these questions the Center’s team looked at workforce trends in the region.
Here are a few characteristics that the data suggest…
Compared to Ohio as a whole:
- Cincinnati’s working age population grew at a faster rate.
- From 2007 to 2008, Cincinnati’s working age population grew by 0.8 percent while Ohio’s only grew by 0.1 percent.
- Cincinnati’s highly educated workforce is growing.
- From 2007 to 2008, the proportion of Cincinnati’s population over the age of 25 with at least a Bachelor’s degree increased 3 percent, while Ohio’s grew less than 1 percent.
- Our region has greater job concentrations in high skill/high demand occupations.
- In computer, business, financial operations, architecture, engineering, scientific, and legal occupations, the concentration is ten to forty percent higher.
- The Cincinnati region also has a highly concentrated and growing creative/innovative workforce.
- Cincinnati’s competitiveness in Ohio, as well as in the nation, has been increasing in creative/innovative occupations such as operation management, art & design, entertainment, and media & communication occupations.
- Cincinnati is competitive in offering higher wages in both the high skill/high demand occupations and the creative/innovative occupations.
- After adjusting for the cost of living differences, high skill/high demand occupation groups are paying 3 to 12 percent more, and creative/innovative occupations are paying 3 to 19 percent more than the Ohio average.
Taken together, these facts paint a positive image of Cincinnati. Within Ohio, Cincinnati is a region where the high skill/high demand workforce is not only welcomed, but appears to be locating. Additionally, these jobs are paying well, aiding Cincinnati’s relative attractiveness. Furthermore, creative and innovative individuals are increasingly dominating the region’s workforce. Thus, there are important distinctions between the Cincinnati region and Ohio as a whole. Local leaders must better communicate these facts so that the region’s identity stands out in Ohio as it should.
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