Ohio and the Dayton area are increasingly accepting post-secondary education programs that offer qualifications such as skills training and certificates, and some companies pay for training their employees.

Sinclair Community College’s workforce development program provides degrees or certifications for workers looking to upgrade their skills or make career changes, said Ronald, chair of the university’s Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial and Systems Engineering Technology Division. W. Ulrich said.

Skilled vocational training, such as precision and computer-controlled machining, welding, and quality control, he said, will help “existing or new workers without these skills to move to a whole new level of wages within the company.” provide a major step forward for

“I know my machining graduates have jobs with certificates or degrees that make $50,000 to $70,000 a year,” says Ulrich.

Adam Dixon (left) works in a welding/machining plant in Dayton and hopes to advance in his own plant by taking advanced manufacturing classes at Sinclair Community College.Jim Noelker/Staff

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Adam Dixon (left) works in a welding/machining plant in Dayton and hopes to advance in his own plant by taking advanced manufacturing classes at Sinclair Community College.Jim Noelker/Staff

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Education and wages go hand in hand

College graduate wages fell slightly in 2021 after a sharp rise in 2020. This is likely due in part to higher-paid workers’ ability to continue working in the first year of the pandemic, the report said.

The median hourly wage for college graduates with a bachelor’s degree or above will be $32.08 in 2021, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal-leaning Washington, D.C.-based think tank, using analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. .

For those with a high school diploma and some college degrees but no degrees, the average wage was $18.93 an hour. Those with only a high school diploma earned $17.18 an hour, and those without a high school diploma earned $14.01 an hour, according to the report.

Policy Matters recommends that policy makers improve preschool support through college education, vocational training programs and funding to ensure education for all.

Michael Shields is a researcher at Policy Matters Ohio.

Michael Shields is a researcher at Policy Matters Ohio.

After years of stagnant wages, Ohio workers have seen their salaries rise in the last two years as a tight job market led to higher wages.

But even though Ohio’s gender pay gap has narrowed over the past decade, by 2021 women were earning only 81 cents for every dollar men earned, the report said. I’m here.

And the wage gap between black and white workers is widening. 80 cents on every dollar earned by black workers in 2021 is down from 92 cents on every dollar earned by black workers in 1979, according to the report.

In 2021, the median hourly wage for black workers was $16.92. The average hourly wage for white workers was $21.26. That racial pay gap exists at all education levels in Ohio.

In 2021, the median hourly wage for college-educated black workers was $30.32, compared to $35.64 for white workers.

The wage gap for high school graduates was $14.73 an hour for black workers and $18.01 for white workers.

The pay gap between women and men also persists at all levels of education in Ohio. According to the report, her $19.56 hourly wage for men with only a high school diploma is higher than the $16.63 median hourly wage for women with diplomas and college degrees.

The median hourly wage for college graduates was $31.41 for men and $24.91 for women.

Graduation Rates and Wages – Race and Education

Credit: Alexis Larsen

Credit: Alexis Larsen

Graduation Rates and Wages – Race and Education

Credit: Alexis Larsen

Credit: Alexis Larsen

Part of the pay gap can be attributed to differences in the occupations of women and men, according to the report, as women are more likely to put their careers on hold to care for children.

Parenting issues hit women hardest, with 60% of mothers who are unemployed or working part-time would return to work or spend more time if they could find affordable, quality childcare. replied, the report said.

A proposal by President Joe Biden to fund universal kindergartens and help with childcare costs passed the U.S. House of Representatives last year, but failed to gain approval from the Senate.

“The main cause of the gender pay gap is that men are working longer hours and staying in the workforce for their careers,” said the Buckeye Institute, a conservative-leaning Columbus-based firm. Rhea S. Hederman Jr., Vice President of Policy, said. think tank. “Women are more likely to take time off to care for their children, and if workers leave their jobs, their future earnings will be less than those who stay in the workforce.”

Rea Hederman, vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, said:

Credits: Contributor

Credits: Contributor

Rea Hederman, vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, said:

Credits: Contributor

Credits: Contributor

He said the gender pay gap is wider in occupations with stricter working hours and could narrow in jobs where employers allow remote work and more flexible work.

The Policy Matters report also recommends raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. But Hederman argues it hurts small businesses, “prevents some workers from finding legitimate jobs, and significantly reduces employment opportunities for teens and young workers.” There is

Shields said the decline of unions is hurting workers and the government should make it easier for workers to form unions to bargain for higher wages and better working conditions. According to the report, the median hourly wage for unionized workers in Ohio in 2021 was $24.75, while for nonunion workers he was $19.91.

“As the recovery continues, we need to demand a better Ohio economy than before. “We need to rebuild Ohio’s economy as a place where everyone can thrive.”

Ohio job recovery incomplete

Ohio has fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic began in March 2020, despite the nation’s job recovery. If federal efforts to curb inflation slow job growth, Ohioans will be at risk of economic distress, according to the report.

“Policy makers must navigate this carefully to bring inflation back to normal levels while limiting the damage to the labor market and thus to most Ohioans,” the report said. . “Inflation strategies will be a key concern for working Ohioans, as a misstep in the policy response puts those who have the most trouble paying higher prices at the greatest risk of unemployment.”

U.S. employment reached pre-pandemic levels for the first time in July, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and on Friday the BLS reported that 315,000 new jobs were created in August.

Ohio recovered 85.3% of its lost jobs, but remained short of 129,800 jobs by July, Shields said. Also, Ohio’s employment numbers are still lower than they were in 2000, when he reached nearly 5.63 million jobs in the state. He had 5.48 million jobs in Ohio in July, according to preliminary data from the BLS.

“Ohio suffers more severe proportional losses than the nation during a recession and has a longer recovery trajectory and possibly a recovery time without returning to previous levels if there is a recession,” the report said. said.

Ohio’s Leading Employment Industries – 2021

Credit: Alexis Larsen

Credit: Alexis Larsen

Ohio’s Leading Employment Industries – 2021

Credit: Alexis Larsen

Credit: Alexis Larsen

Manufacturing once dominated Ohio’s employment mix, but now ranks fifth, with 700,000 manufacturing jobs lost since the 1970s, Shields said.

“This trend has had a significant impact on the quality of employment. because they are being superseded,” the report said.

The trade, transportation and utilities sector was the state’s largest employer at 19% and the only major sector to add jobs during the pandemic.

Education and health services rank second, followed by government, professional and corporate services.

Another concern for Ohio is demographics.

“One of the factors we have to recognize is that Ohio’s workforce is aging compared to the rest of the country,” Shields said.

The report says the state must attract and retain young people and families by committing to “affordable and quality childcare, equitable and well-resourced schools, and a commitment to health for all residents.” says there is.

Julie Sullivan.contributed

Julie Sullivan.contributed

Julie Sullivan, Executive Vice President of Regional Development The strategy identifies retaining and attracting a talented workforce as a top priority for the Dayton area. at the Dayton Development Coalition.

“So we need a multi-pronged approach. The existing workforce will need to be engaged and upskilled to meet needs, foster an engaged pipeline to prepare for the jobs of the future, and bring in new people. We need to attract to the area,” said Sullivan. “There are many partners involved in this work from different angles, and we need them all to be successful.”

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