Region 9 Demographics

Transcription

1 Region 9 Demographics Demographics The ABRWB is committed to working with the Region 9 employer and business community, through the One-Stop service delivery system to identify the employment needs of Alachua and Bradford counties. Working with area businesses and economic development organizations, job seekers and employed workers, the ABRWB will implement feedback mechanisms that would allow for continuous monitoring of the local labor market to identify new and expanding employment opportunities. The Region 9 workforce region consists of two Florida counties, Alachua and Bradford Counties. These two counties make up a combined area of 1,269 square miles. Alachua County has 969 total square miles (95 square miles being water) while Bradford County has 300 total square miles (7 square miles being water). This region is best described as a mostly rural environment with the city of Gainesville accounting for 39.1% of the total population. The U.S. Bureau of the Census has designated Alachua County along with Bradford County as the Gainesville Metropolitan Statistical Area. Population: The Alachua and Bradford County region, during the 2000 census, had a combined population of 244,043 persons of which 49.6% were male and 50.4% were female. Alachua County accounted for 89.3% of the total population. It is estimated that the population in Alachua County increased by 2.4% and Bradford County increased by a total of 5.9% from April 1, 2000 to July 1, This is compared to Florida s overall increase in population of 8.8% during the same period. Between Census 1990 and 2000 there was a 20% increase in the regional population between compared with a 23.5% population increase for Florida during the same period. The total civilian labor force in the Alachua Bradford Workforce Region for June 2005 was 134,924 of which 130,154 were employed and 4,770 were unemployed. The unemployment rate for June was 3.5%. During June, Florida s unemployment rate was 3.9%. This was the lowest unemployment rate for Florida since December of The table below is a comparison of the unemployment rates for Alachua and Bradford Counties versus Florida for the months of June 2004 and June This table identifies that the unemployment rate for 2005 was much lower than that of 2004 for each of the counties, the region as a whole and Florida overall. It also identifies that Bradford County has a higher unemployment rate than Alachua County, primarily due to Bradford s rural environment. 1

2 Area Year Month Labor Force Unemployment Number Statewide ,642,000 8,301, , % Alachua , ,477 4, % Bradford ,170 11, % Region , ,154 4, % Statewide ,396,000 7,997, , % Alachua , ,554 4, % Bradford ,736 11, % Region , ,716 5, % Unemployment Rate Education During Census 2000, the population 25 years and older for the region was 141,407. Of this population 72.3% had at least a high school diploma; 63.6% of the population has some post-secondary training or degree3. This percentage of post-secondary training and education is much higher in Alachua County. The table identifies the educational attainment for residents of both counties and the region as a whole: Education Attainment Alachua Bradford Region Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Population 25 years and over 123, % 17, % 141, % Less than 9thgrade 4, % 1, % 5, % 9thto 12thgrade, no diploma 10, % 3, % 13, % High school graduate (includes equivalency) 25, % 7, % 32, % Some College, no degree 24, % 3, % 27, % Associate degree 11, % 1, % 12, % Bachelor s degree 24, % % 25, % Graduate or professional degree 23, % % 24,036 17% 2

3 Economy The Alachua and Bradford County family income levels are reported in the table below. The table displays the percentage of county residents who reported an income within a certain range such as less than $15,000 per year or more than $100,000 per year. A review of the data shows that Alachua County has a higher incidence of resident families with higher annual incomes than in Bradford County. Income is defined as the sum of monies reported separately for wages, salary, commissions, etc. including money received through Social Security, pensions, public assistance and other sources of income that are regularly received. A review of family and individual income for both Alachua and Bradford Counties identifies that the per capita income is lower than the State average. Per capita income is defined as the mean income computed for every man, woman, and child in a geographic area. It is derived by dividing the total income for all people 15 years old and over in a geographic area by the total population in that area. The table below identifies the poverty levels for residents of Alachua and Bradford Counties compared to the Florida percentage. This information reinforces the need for increased wage opportunities for individuals within the region as Alachua County has a significantly higher rate of poverty than the Florida average at 22.8%. According to the Census 2000 there were 50,122 individuals and 6,573 families within Region 9 who are living below the poverty level. This equates to 1 out of every 5 individuals within Alachua and Bradford Counties who are living under the poverty level. This is significantly higher than the percentage of individuals and families for Florida as a whole with a poverty level of 12.5% in 2000 and an estimated 12.2% for In Alachua County, 44% of those living in poverty are younger than 18 years of age. 3

4 Additionally, a review of those families living with children shows a dramatic increase in incidence of poverty compared to those families without children. The Lower Living Standard Income Level (LLSIL) for a family of 3 in Region 9 is $11.07 per hour or $23,480 per year. Based on a data review of the economic and demographic characteristics of the Alachua and Bradford populations presented within this section, the ABRWB has determined that the following criteria are the most critical workforce needs for the period of 2005 through 2007: Identification and development of job seekers with the skills to meet the growing demands of local businesses for qualified workers Promotion of job retention and career advancement opportunities for the lower income employed worker Development of new business opportunities within the region that provide higher compensation occupational and advancement opportunities Development of linkages between education and employment needs Creation of a higher return on investment for expenditure of WIA funding Current and Projected Opportunities The forecast for Florida indicates that employment will continue to shift from the goods producing sector to the service sector and that the trade and service industries will be the two fastest growing industries, accounting for almost 70 percent of the new jobs created. This trend is currently reflected at the local level. A review of the Gainesville Council for Economic Research indicates that the employers listed below comprise the ten top employers in Region 9: University of Florida more than 12,000 employees Shands Hospital more than 7,500 employees Alachua County School Board more than 4,000 employees Veterans Affairs Medical Center more than 2,500 employees City of Gainesville More than 2,300 employees Florida Department of Children and Families more than 2,100 employees Alachua County more than 1,900 employees Publix Supermarkets more than 1,800 employees North Florida Medical Center More than 1,600 employees Florida State Prison More than 1,400 employees All but one employer listed above is located in Alachua County; the Florida State Prison is located in Starke, Florida in Bradford County. The predominant industries within the region are Government and Service Related, including healthcare and hospitality. The table below shows the 20 fastest growing industries within Alachua and Bradford Counties as predicted for the period of 2004 through 2012; the ranking is represented by the percentage of new jobs for each industry. The industries represented employ at least 225 positions. These 20 industries 4

5 are estimated to be responsible for the creation of 11,127 new positions within an 8 year period or approximately 1,400 new jobs each year. Rank Industry Code Industry Total Percentage Change Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores % Administrative and Support Services 4,509 5, % Social Assistance 1,695 2, % Specialty Trade Contractors 3,985 5, % Educational Services 2,086 2, % Hospitals 9,662 11, % Rental and Leasing Services % Miscellaneous Manufacturing % Truck Transportation % Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries 868 1, % Insurance Carriers and Related Activities 3,017 3, % Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing % Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 5,570 6, % Ambulatory Health Care Services 5,372 6, % Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book, and Music 795 Stores % Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 1,061 1, % Food Services and Drinking Places 10,599 12, % Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 2,134 2, % Credit Intermediation and Related Activities 1,402 1, % Repair and Maintenance 989 1, % TOTAL 58,587 69, % 5