Job Situation in Pennsylvania - Good Or Bad?

Transcription

1 IssuesPA Workforce Poll: 10 Major Findings (9/30/05) 1. Most Pennsylvanians see the job situation in their region of state as only fair, at best. Job Situation in Own Area of State Excellent/Good Only Fair Poor STATE WIDE PUBLIC: REGIONS: Philadelphia City: Other Southeast: Southwest: South Central: Northeast: Rest of State: Only about a quarter (26%) of Keystone State residents describe the job situtuation in their region of state as excellent or good, taking into account both the availability and quality of jobs locally. Four in 10 (40%) rate the job situation where they live as only fair and another three in 10 (31%) say it is poor. Regional Highlights: Consistent with previous IssuesPA/Pew polls, the two areas of state where people feel most positively about the job situation are Southeastern Pa. suburban counties outside the city of Philadelphia and the South Central region. In both the Southeastern Pa. suburbs and South Central Pa., about three times as many rate the job situation as excellent/good as rate it poor (42% vs. 14% and 41% vs. 13%, respectively). The most negative views on the local job situation are held by those living in Northeastern Pa. (46% poor) and Rest of State (48% poor). Residents of Southwestern Pa. are less likely to view things positively (18% excellent/good), but are more likely to characterize the job situation as only fair (48%) than poor (33%). Demographic Highlights: Young adults age take a more positive view of the job situation in their region than older Pennsylvania residents. Thirty-eight percent of those under 30 give it an excellent/good rating, compared with 26 percent of those age and 20 percent of those age 50 and older. Four in 10 employed Pennsylvanians now working at a dead-end job see the job situation in their region as poor compared with less than three in 10 workers who are in a job they see as long-term (26%) or a stepping stone to a better position or building a career (22%).

2 2. In defining a good job Pennsylvanians in the workforce put good wages and health benefits above everything else. Retirement benefits and long-term job security are next on their list. Job Characteristics Rated "Very Important" Provides health insurance coverage Provides good wages or salary Offers retirement benefits Offers long-term job security 90% 89% 82% 79% Offers opportunities for advancement 67% Offers easily available transportation or a reasonable commute Offers financial assistance to help pay for additional education or skills training 44% 52% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Based on those in workforce If they were looking for a new job or a better job today, Pennsylvanians who are now in the workforce (not retired or disabled) nearly all say it would be very important that their employer provide them with health insurance (90%) and good wages or salary (89%). Ranking next in importance are retirement benefits (82%) and long-term job security (79%), followed by opportunities for advancement (67%). Smaller shares see easily available transportation/short commuting distance (52%) and financial assistance for additional education or training (44%) as a top priority. Regional Highlights: Those who live in the city of Philadelphia care most that their job provide opportunities for advancement (79% very important) and financial assistance to support further education or training (61%). Long-term job security matters most to those living in Philadelphia city (86%) and Northeastern Pa. (88%). Demographic Highlights: Those with the highest levels of education place less value on long-term job security, an indication of the advantages more education brings in terms of greater flexibility and mobility. While 82 percent of those with a high school education or less and 81 percent of those with technical school or some college think job security is very important, that figure drops to 68 percent among those with a four-year college degree or more education.

3 3. Keystone state residents most often see the Health Care and Life Sciences, Manufacturing, and Information and Communication Services as the industries likely to generate the greatest number of jobs in their region over the next 10 years. INDUSTRIES LIKELY TO BE MOST AVAILABLE IN OWN AREA OF STATE OVER NEXT 10 YEARS % Total Health Care and Life Sciences 26 Manufacturing 13 Information and Communication Services 13 Retail 10 Construction/The Trades 8 Service 6 Hospitality and tourism 6 When Pennsylvanians are asked to name, without prompting, the specific industries or types of companies likely to have the most job openings in their region over the next 10 years, one industry rises to the top Health Care and Life Sciences (mentioned by 26% overall). That is followed by Manufacturing (13%) and Information and Communication Services (13%). Retail (10%) and Construction and The Trades (8%) round out the top five. Certain industries stand out as more likely to be named by those who see the job situation in their region more positively, and those who see it more negatively. The following industries are more often identified as major job-providers by those rate the local job situation as excellent/good than by those who rate it as poor: Health Care and Life Sciences (34% vs. 19%), Information and Communication Services (17% vs. 10%), and Construction and The Trades (14% vs. 4%). The industries more often named by those who see the local job situation as poor are Manufacturing (16% vs. 9%) and Hospitality and Tourism (9% vs. 3%). Regional Highlights: Health Care is most often seen as a major provider of new jobs in Southeastern Pa. (38%). Manufacturing is cited more often in Northeastern Pa. (23%) and Rest of State (22%). Information and Communication Services tends to be mentioned by those living in Southwestern Pa. (16%), South Central Pa. (16%), or the suburban counties of Southeastern Pa. (17%).

4 4. Most Pennsylvanians think post-high school education is more important today than it was in the past. In fact, additional training after high school is considered a necessity for the kinds of jobs they think will be most available in the next decade. EDUCATION NEEDED FOR FUTURE JOBS % Total High school degree 28 Total post-hs education 69 2-year degree or skills certificate 36 4-year college degree 33 Over three-quarters (78%) of Pennsylvanians think getting a college education is more important today than it was 10 years ago. If they were looking for a new job today, over half (54%) of Pennsylvanians in the workforce say getting additional job-related training would do a lot to improve their chances of finding a job they are interested in. That s a greater number than feel this way about researching job opportunities (44% help a lot), networking with friends and family (44%) and using employment agencies (23%). When asked how much education will be needed for the jobs available in their region over the next decade, less than a third (28%) of Pennsylvanians say a high school diploma will be sufficient. Just over a third (36%) see a two-year college degree or skills certificate from a community college or technical school as the minimum requirement. Another third (33%) think a four-year college degree or more will be needed. Regional Highlights: Southeastern Pa. residents are most likely to think a four-year college degree or better will be needed for the jobs of the future (49%). Most likely to think a high school degree will be enough are those living in Northeastern Pa. (39%) and Rest of State (37%), but there is no region where a majority feel this way. Demographic Highlights: Those most likely to feel they would personally benefit a lot from additional job-related education or skills training are non-whites (71%) and those with a high school education or less (62%). Women are more likely than men to feel they would be helped a lot (58% vs. 49%).

5 5. Most Pennsylvanians, however, don t seem aware that education beyond high school is generally required for the jobs of the future in blue collar industries like Transportation, Construction, and Manufacturing not just for jobs in such industries as Health Care, Education, and Information and Communication Services, which are more commonly assumed to require additional education or technical skills. EDUCATION NEEDED % FOR THIS TYPE OF JOB 2-Yr Deg./ HS Grad Skill Cert. College Grad Transportation Lumber, Wood and Paper Construction Manufacturing Agriculture and Food Info and Communication services Business and Financial Services Health Care and Life Sciences Education About two-in-three state residents think that a high school education is enough to get a good job these days in the Transportation (71%) and Lumber, Wood, and Paper industries (64%). Over half feel the same way about jobs in the Construction (54%) and Manufacturing (52%) industries. Information and Communication Services is viewed most often as the industry where a two-year degree or skills training but not necessarily a four-year degree is the ticket to success (48%). The industry sectors for which Pennsylvanians think getting a good job requires are four-year college degree or more are Education (88%), Health Care and Life Sciences (75%), and Business and Financial Services (50%). Regional Highlights: Residents of Northeastern Pa. are more likely to see a two-year degree or skills training as the minimum education required to get a good job in the Business and Financial Services industry (44% vs. 36% statewide). Those in Rest of State and the South Central region are most likely to see a two-year degree or skills training as the kind of education needed to get a good job in Information or Communication Services (57% and 55%, respectively, vs. 48% statewide.

6 6. Pennsylvanians are critical of the job high schools in their region are doing in preparing young people for jobs, educating students about career opportunities, and teaching them to think. QUALITY OF JOB DONE BY % LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS Excellent/Good Only Fair/Poor Giving students going into workforce skills they'll need Teaching students to think Educating students about career opportunities in area Teaching basics in reading, writing, & math Preparing students for college, tech or trade school Roughly half of state residents say the high schools in their region of Pennsylvania do an only fair or poor job of teaching students to think (48%) and giving students entering the workforce the training and skills they will need (49%). Close to half (45%) give their high schools sub par ratings for educating students about the kinds of job opportunities available locally. High schools get their best marks in areas less closely associated with preparing students for the working world. Majorities of Pennsylvanians think their region s high schools do an excellent or good job of teaching the basics in reading, writing, and math (54%) and preparing students for further education after high school (53%). Regional Highlights: High schools get their worst ratings for preparing students for the working world in the city of Philadelphia (59% only fair or poor) and Southwestern Pa. (55% only fair or poor). Those who are more established in their region and are therefore in a better position to rate their high schools are more critical than new residents. Opinions of those who have lived in their region more than 20 years tend to be negative about the performance of high schools in preparing students for jobs (50% only fair/poor vs. 41% excellent/good). Those who have lived in their region less than five years are more positive in their views (36% excellent/good vs. 31% only fair/poor.

7 7. Local two-year and four-year colleges in Pennsylvania get positive ratings for their performance in delivering job-related education and training. However, a relatively large segment of the public is not familiar enough with local higher education institutions to offer an opinion. 100% Quality of Institutions in Meeting Job-Related Educational Needs Excellent/Good Only Fair/Poor Don't know 80% 60% 49% 54% 40% 20% 29% 23% 26% 20% 0% Local 2-Year Colleges Local 4-Year Colleges State residents tend to be positive in their evaluations of the job their region s two-year schools (including career or technical schools) and four-year schools are doing in meeting the job-related educational needs of working adults. Four-year schools get marginally better marks (54% excellent/good vs. 26% only fair poor) than two-year schools (49% vs. 29%). Two-year schools get somewhat higher marks from the statewide public for providing programs or courses leading to job skills certification (55% vs. 22%); four-year schools get somewhat higher marks for providing programs leading to a specific occupational degree (61% vs. 18%). Pennsylvanians are less familiar with their local higher education institutions than they are with their high schools. Twenty-three percent were unable to rate the performance of two-year schools in meeting workers educational needs and 20 percent were unable to rate four-year schools in this same area. In contrast, only about half as many (12%) didn t rate high schools for providing students with the training and skills they need to be gainfully employed. Regional Highlights: Local two-year schools are most highly regarded by the residents of the suburban counties of Southeastern Pa. In this part of the state, a solid majority (61%) give two-year schools in their region an excellent/good rating for meeting the job-related educational needs of working adults. Even though they live in the same region, Philadelphia city residents don t have such a high opinion of local twoyear schools just four in 10 (38%) city residents give them an excellent/good rating and another three in 10 (32%) seem unfamiliar with these schools and do not rate them at all.

8 8. Most Pennsylvania adults are not currently enrolled in any kind of job-related education or training, and do not see themselves as likely to sign up in the next five years. Job-Related Education or Training By Age Currently enrolled Likely to get job-related training in next 5 yrs. 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 43% 32% 35% 28% 13% 7% Total in Workforce Based on those in workforce Less than one-half of Pennsylvania residents who are not retired are either currently taking job-related courses or say they are likely to take courses in the next five years. One in ten Pennsylvanians (13%) are currently enrolled in any courses at college, community college, or career or technical schools. While an additional 32% say they are likely to go back to school in the next five years to get a degree or additional job-related education or training. Regional Highlights: Residents of the Southeast region in the workforce (21%) are more likely than all other regions of the state to say they are currently taking classes. About one in ten are taking classes in the other regions of the state. Likewise, workforce members living in Philadelphia (43%) and the Southwest (37%) are the most likely to say they are likely to return to school Demographic Highlights: Three-quarters of residents under 30 say they are currently enrolled in school or they are likely to return to school in the next five years. Fully one-third of those under 30 (35%) say they are now taking classes, compared with just seven percent of residents 30 and older who are not retired. Likewise, a large share of those under age 30 say they are likely to return to school in the next five years (43% vs. 28% of those 30 and older, but not retired).

9 9. Lack of support by employers, inability to afford tuition, and obligations outside of work are serious obstacles keeping those who would benefit most from additional training from returning to the classroom. TOP 3 REASONS IT WOULD BE % DIFFICULT TO RETURN TO SCHOOL Total College Grad HS or less Too many responsibilities outside of work Can t afford it Work schedule won t allow it Fifty-two percent of those in the Pennsylvania workforce say that it would be difficult for them to return to school to get a degree or additional job-related education or training. Of those who say returning to school would be difficult, the majority cite their responsibilities and schedule as the main reason it would be difficult. One third say their responsibilities outside of work would make it difficult (32%), an additional 15% say their work schedule will not allow it. Thirty-one percent say affordability is their main obstacle. One-half of employed workers say their employer would be very (34%) or somewhat (17%) likely to support them financially or some other way if they chose to go back to school. Demographic Highlights: Those most in need of additional job training are the most likely to find it difficult to do so. Sixty-four percent of those with a high school diploma or less say it would be difficult to return to school, compared with 37% of those with more education. Affordability is the main barrier for this group 36% cite cost makes it difficult for them to return to school, followed by 26% who say responsibilities outside of work. Unfortunately for this group, they do not see their employers as likely to help them financially or otherwise to return to school. Four in ten of those with a high school diploma or less (43%) say their employer is likely to support their returning to school, compared with 62% of college graduates.

10 10. Public opinion in Pennsylvania is closely divided on whether it would be better for state government to support higher education through scholarships and loans to students or to by giving money directly to colleges and universities so they can reduce tuition costs. Give more money directly to students, 50% Give more money directly to colleges, 44% Don't know/ Refused, 6% One-half of Pennsylvania residents favor giving more money directly to students in the form of loans and scholarships, while 44% favor giving more money to the colleges in order to reduce tuition. Demographic Highlights: Residents who have graduated from a four-year college are more likely than those with less education to clearly favor giving the money directly to students, rather than the colleges (61% vs. 35%). Those with less education prefer the opposite approach. High school graduates and those with less education lean towards giving the money to the colleges, rather than students (44% vs. 50%).

11 SURVEY METHODOLOGY Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,653 Pennsylvania adults, 18 and older, conducted September 8-18, Results are weighted so that the sample demographics match Pennsylvania parameters for gender, age, education, race, and region. The overall margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for results based on total adults. Results based on smaller subgroups are subject to larger margins of sampling error. In addition to sampling error, the practical difficulties of conducting surveys can also introduce error or bias to poll results.

12 PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES SOUTHEAST REGION Bucks Chester Delaware Montgomery Philadelphia SOUTHWEST REGION NORTHEAST REGION Carbon Lackawanna Luzerne Monroe Pike Schuylkill Wayne Allegheny Armstrong REST OF STATE Beaver Bedford Lycoming Butler Berks McKean Fayette Blair Mercer Greene Bradford Mifflin Indiana Cambria Northampton Lawrence Cameron Northumberland Washington Centre Potter Westmoreland Clarion Snyder Clearfield Somerset SOUTH CENTRAL REGION Clinton Susquehanna Adams Columbia Tioga Cumberland Crawford Union Dauphin Elk Venango Franklin Erie Warren Lancaster Fulton Wyoming Lebanon Perry York Huntingdon Jefferson Lehigh