Aligning supply, demand of workforce needed

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Team NEO, in a new report, “Aligning opportunities in Northeast Ohio,” looks to aid in addressing the supply-and-demand imbalance in Northeast Ohio’s workforce.

The report, funded by The Cleveland Foundation, looks at labor-force trends, job demand, talent supply and the demand and supply alignment of the 18-county region of Northeast Ohio.

The report found that by 2020, 65 percent of Ohio jobs will require a postsecondary credential.

It also found that regional secondary and postsecondary institutions are producing too few students with the credentials needed in many high-demand technical fields.

Lastly, the report found there is a substantial misalignment between the demand for workers and the supply of credentialed workers in the key areas of IT, health, manufacturing, finance and business services.

The report concludes that aligning the supply and demand will take a systemic effort.

Team NEO is an economic-development organization focused on creating jobs for Northeast Ohio’s residents.