Education &
Workforce
Degrees Awarded in STEM Field
While STEM graduates aren't the only contributors to PA’s innovation
economy, the number of STEM degrees awarded each year serves as a proxy for the
labor pool’s interests and its level of skill development and sophistication (Milken 2018 Report).
As businesses grow in PA, they need skilled and well-educated workers who
are prepared for the innovation economy. STEM degree programs help equip
students with the knowledge and skills they need to enter the workforce and be
successful in a tech-driven, global economy. (PA Department of Education).
Note about
data: This table presents data collected from Title IV
institutions in the United States. Prior to 2009-10, the data include only
Title IV primarily postsecondary institutions.
PA Total
By Race/Ethnicity
While STEM graduates aren't the only contributors to PA’s innovation
economy, the number of STEM degrees awarded each year serves as a proxy for the
labor pool’s interests and its level of skill development and sophistication (lMilken 2018 Report).
As businesses grow in PA, they need skilled and well-educated workers who
are prepared for the innovation economy. STEM degree programs help equip
students with the knowledge and skills they need to enter the workforce and be
successful in a tech-driven, global economy. (PA Department of Education).
With the conclusion of the 2018-19 school year, nonresident alien students
were dramatically overrepresented among STEM graduates, whereas white students
were slightly underrepresented and Black or African-American students were
dramatically underrepresented.
Note about
data: This table presents
data collected from Title IV institutions in the United States. Prior to
2009-10, the data include only Title IV primarily postsecondary institutions.
Child Care Access
Without access to
affordable, high-quality child care, parents and guardians face barriers to
gaining employment and succeeding in the workplace (PA OpenData Portal: Workforce
Dashboard - Barriers). The data presented here provides insight into these barriers by
reporting the number of children on the Pennsylvania Department of Human
Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Child Care Works
subsidized child care program, Low Income waiting list.
Source: Pennsylvania
Department of Human Services via (PA OpenData Portal: Workforce
Dashboard - Barriers
Science & Engineering Workers
While scientists and engineers aren’t the only contributors to the
innovation economy, they play a key role in promoting economic growth
and competitiveness. The National Science Board as well as a wide range of policymakers
and scholars agree that science and engineering workers are a critical
component of an innovative economy “because of their high skill level, their
creative ideas, and their ability not only to advance basic scientific
knowledge but also to transform advances in fundamental knowledge into tangible
and useful products and services” (National Science Board).
For a sense of how PA compares to other states: in 2019 the average percent
of science and engineers in the workforce across all 50 states was 4.6%.
Maryland had the highest percentage of 7.8% and Louisiana the lowest at 2.4%
Note about data: Years without a bar represent years in which
data was not available for this particular metric.
Net Migration by County
This measure is both a factor for and outcome of a healthy, thriving economy.
An inflow of new working-age adults to a region attracts outside companies and
enables growing companies to stay. Outsiders bring new skills and ideas and
help connect the region to the national and global economy. Research shows
cross-regional migration may also drive up local wages. (1) Finally, net
positive migration is a measure of a region’s attractiveness regarding
amenities, school quality, safety, and a variety of high-quality jobs.
(1) Zabek, Mike (2019). “Local Ties in Spatial
Equilibrium,” Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2019-080. Washington:
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, https://doi.org/10.17016/FEDS.2019.080.
Foreign Born Population by
Metro Area
Immigrants living in Pennsylvania are a key driver of the economy. They
make up 7% of the state’s population, but about 10% of the entrepreneurs. They
are also over-represented as workers and founders in the science and technology
industries. The top countries of origin for Pennsylvania’s foreign-born
population are India, Dominican Republic, China, Mexico, and Vietnam. (1)
(1)
“Immigrants in Pennsylvania,” American Immigration Council, August 6, 2020.
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-pennsylvania.
Cost Burdened Households by
County
The federal
government defines cost-burdened households as those that pay over 30% of
household income to rent or mortgage payments. This is caused by high housing
prices, low incomes, or both. This is an indicator of whether citizens are
sharing in a region’s economic growth: as home prices rise, wages should rise,
too. While high housing prices can
indicate a region’s attractiveness, they can also deter potential new
inhabitants from moving in and contributing to the local economy.