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Workforce Talent
BusinessFirst! & Wright State University's Applied Policy Research Institute (APRI) Release Verified Labor Report for Manufacturing and Transportation Industries
As a continuous advocate of the Dayton region, BusinessFirst! For a Greater Dayton Region has partnered with long-time resource partner Wright State University’s Applied Policy Research Institute (APRI) to provide a verified labor force report as a benefit to the entire Dayton region.
The report used verifiable government records to specify the available workforce in the BusinessFirst! region of Darke, Greene, Montgomery, Miami and Preble counties. The analysis goes beyond traditional unemployment statistics to provide detailed reports for two target industries critical to the BusinessFirst! Region: Transportation/Warehousing/E-commerce, and Manufacturing. What it showed is that for manufacturing there are over 70,000 total available workers, and for Transportation, Warehousing, and E-commerce occupations there are over 33,000 total available workers in the BusinessFirst! region.
Download the full report here.
Download the 1-page infographic here.
Regional Workforce Profile
The BusinessFirst! regional footprint contains almost half a million jobs (445,762). Major employment sectors include Government, due in part to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio’s largest single-site employer (30,000 jobs), Healthcare, Manufacturing, Retail Trade, and Professional Services. The region has benefitted from new companies choosing to locate here and expansion of its companies. For example, since 2014, the BusinessFirst! region has seen a resurgence in Manufacturing, resulting in a 12 percent increase in manufacturing jobs, which greatly exceeds the national average (5 percent).
| Population (2019) | 898,916 |
| Jobs (2019) | 445,762 |
| Average Earnings (2019) | $59,100 |
| High School Diploma (2019) | 89.7% |
| Some College Education or Above (2019) | 58.6% |
Regional Workforce Resources
There are many resources throughout the greater Dayton region to assist businesses in finding the talent needed in their operations.
SOCHE: The Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education formed in 1967 and is a regional consortium of 20 colleges and universities in southwest Ohio. SOCHE is the collaborative infrastructure for higher education, helping colleges and universities transform their communities and economies through the education, employment, and engagement of more than 120,000 students in southwest Ohio.
OhioMeansJobs: The main page for employers and individuals to post positions and search for available jobs.
Employer Services at OhioMeansJobs | Montgomery County: OhioMeansJobs | Montgomery County (formerly The Job Center) provides many services to employers in the area. Some include job posting, pre-screening, private interview rooms, assessment and testing, wage subsidy programs, mass recruiting, and more.
OhioMeansJobs | Greene County: The OhioMeansJobs Greene County offers a variety of services to people seeking employment. We offer assistance with job hunting, interviewing, career counseling, training, and other supports to help you get and keep a job.
OhioMeansJobs | Miami County: OhioMeansJobs Miami County is specifically designed for Ohio Job Seekers and employers in need of employment and/or reemployment services. OhioMeansJobs Miami County provides a central point of access for employment, training, and related services provided by many area agencies and service providers.
Preble County Careers: The goal of Preble County Careers is to ensure that everyone in our community is aware of the jobs and careers available. Our local companies are in need of our local talent, who all too often do not realize the great opportunity right here in our own backyard.
OhioMeansJobs | Darke County: OhioMeansJobs Darke County offers a wide variety of free services for job seekers and employers.
Summer Youth Works at OhioMeansJobs | Montgomery County: The Summer Youth Works program at OhioMeansJobs | Montgomery County provides employers with youth ages 14-17. Montgomery County provides the training and wages for the youth and the employers help provide youth with meaningful work experience. The youth are our future and Montgomery County wants to work with businesses to develop the future talent of the region.