High-quality education and stable employment in jobs with livable wages help residents increase their income and better support their families. The District is investing in workforce development, K-12 education, and higher education to ensure residents are prepared for success. This indicator group includes educational level for adults, labor force participation, and unemployment rates.

Educational Attainment

People who have more education are also more likely to earn higher incomes. This metric addresses educational attainment, which measures the highest educational credential held by people over 25 years old. The most significant differences exist between those with and without high school diplomas, or equivalent credentials; and those with and without bachelor’s degrees.

These differences are tied to common education requirements across a range of occupations. For example, many supervisory food service industry jobs require applicants to have a high school diploma and it is also common for administrative assistant positions to require a bachelor’s degree.

 

 

 

Unemployment and Labor Force

For many people, the unemployment rate is a familiar figure. It describes the percentage of the labor force that does not have a job but is actively looking for one. The labor force includes all people with jobs, people who have been temporarily laid off from a job, and people who are not employed and are actively looking for a job. Taken together, unemployment and labor force participation rates provide a snapshot of the potential for households to earn income.

Most adults are in the labor force because earned income funds the bulk of a typical household’s needs. However, many adults are also retired and/or conduct unpaid labor. It is more common for adults in low-income households to conduct unpaid labor because the costs of services, such as childcare and eldercare, likely exceed the earnings of minimum wage workers. As a result, these households are often better off with fewer working adults because their expenses are much lower when offset by unpaid labor. However, even when low-income households maximize earned income and reduce costs as much as possible, it is still difficult for many to make ends meet.

These indicators are closely linked to educational attainment. Workers with lower levels of educational attainment are more likely to experience unemployment because they are more likely to be paid hourly rather than with an annual salary. Businesses that hire hourly employees are likely to increase and decrease staffing more frequently than businesses that hire salaried workers. Residents who experience frequent or prolonged unemployment are more likely to have barriers to upward mobility.