Workforce Prep
- Helping adults earn a postsecondary certificate or degree is
vital to preparing the SREB region’s workforce for the future.
- The percentage of working-age adults with at least some
postsecondary education increased over the last decade.
- The overall employment rate increased across most SREB states
at all education levels.
- By 2030, every SREB state will have more dependent-age
individuals than working age adults.
- Adults with higher credentials are less likely than their
peers with less than a high school education to earn wages below
the poverty threshold.
Educational Attainment
Helping adults earn a postsecondary certificate or degree to
prepare for employment is imperative for states.Rapid
advancements in automation and artificial intelligence will
increasingly displace adults with low levels of education,
transforming some positions while eliminating others.
Better-paying careers in the coming years will require students
to earn a certificate or degree after high school.
In the SREB region, the percentage of working-age adults with at
least some postsecondary education increased 7.6 points between
2012 and 2022. But across the region in 2022, 38% of working-age
adults still had a high school diploma or less.
Job Share by Education Level
The share of jobs held by adults with a high school diploma or
less in the SREB region between 2012 and 2022 decreased by 3.0
points, while the share held by adults with a bachelor’s degree
or more increased by 6.4 points.
Employment Rates by Education Level
Despite fewer low-skilled adults in the workforce in 2022 than in
2012, there was an overall employment rate increase across most
states at all education levels over the decade. In fact,
employment rates for adults with high school credentials
increased in all SREB states over the 10-year period, by 3.5
points (See the chart below for state data). In all 16 SREB
states, adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher were employed
at greater rates in 2022 compared to 2012.
These shifts point to a dire situation for low-skilled adults —
those with a high school diploma or less — who are most
vulnerable to technological advancement and economic downturns.
Working-Age Adults vs. Dependent Population
Without additional education and training, some 18 million SREB
adults and their children could be unemployable by 2030. Helping
adults earn credentials beyond high school will be critical for
25- to 44-year-olds, who are early- or mid-career and will face
job changes.
Technological progress and low educational attainment in the
workforce are not the only challenges facing states. By 2030,
every SREB state will have more dependent-age individuals than
working age adults. Many adults in the 25-64 age range will
either be unemployed or out of the labor force by 2030, so the
gap between working adults and dependents will likely be higher
than conveyed.
Percentage of Adults in Poverty by Attainment
Between 2012 and 2022, poverty rates for adults with any
postsecondary education decreased in six SREB states. For adults
with a high school diploma or less, poverty rates decreased in
nine SREB states.
Earnings by Education Level
Adults with higher credentials are less likely than their peers
with less than a high school education to earn wages below the
poverty threshold — $13,590 for an individual with $4,720 for
each additional person in 2022. In the median SREB state, adults
with some college or higher earned $20,645 more than those with a
high school diploma or less.
With the disruption of the pandemic, along with technological
advancement shifts, SREB states are facing considerable
challenges in meeting workforce needs.
The growing dependent population, rising poverty rates and gaps
between attainment and job share seen in 2019 pre-pandemic data
will be exacerbated. With millions displaced and fewer high
school graduates attending college, training for future job
openings may become a necessity for 2030.
With fewer people attending and completing college, there are now
millions displaced in the workforce pipeline who might need
reskilling for future positions. States that coordinate
thoughtful partnerships and strategic investments to attain
degrees or skills will strengthen a thriving workforce in the
future.