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Many central Missouri children under age 5 are living in poverty
The number of central Missouri children under age five who are living at or below the poverty level ranges from 10 to 34 percent, depending on the county, a new study has found. In addition, about 17 percent of children in the region have some type of disability,
The recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has fueled activity around investment in early childhood programs, especially programs which serve children living in or near poverty. Analysis was conducted by OSEDA on data from U.S Census 2000, American Communities Survey 2007, the Child Care Resource and Referral needs assessment, 2008 Missouri Kids Count, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data, and Missouri HealthNet Claims data.
Results revealed that the percent of children under five living in poverty in the central Missouri region ranged from about 10 percent to 34 percent, depending on the county. About 68 percent of child care programs in this region serve Head Start eligible children (children at or below 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level). About 59 percent of those programs are family child care homes, 8 percent are group homes, and 33 percent is center based care.
The number of children with disabilities by type of disability was established using 8 year old IEP data. Within the central Missouri region, about 17 percent of children have a disability. Speech impairment was the most frequent, followed by language impairment and learning disabilities.
Many Missouri Children Remain At Risk
Despite improvements in six of ten indicators of Missouri children’s well-being, challenges remain on several fronts, according to the new 2008 KIDS COUNT in Missouri Data Book , which provides information at the state and county levels. Among the good news, the rates of child abuse and violent death of teens have fallen. Also, fewer teens without high school diplomas are giving birth, and, infant mortality rates are down. However, some indicators are pointing in the wrong direction
KIDS COUNT found that statewide, between 2003 and 2007:
- Students enrolled in free/reduced price school lunch programs increased by a 2.5 percent rate, indicative of rising poverty.
- Births increased by 2.6 per 1,000 teen girls aged 15 to 19.
- Annual high school dropout rates increased by 0.3 percent.
- Also, the rate of low birth weight infants rose 0.3 percent between the 1998/2002 base period and 2003/2007. Missouri now has almost 150,000 children who are uninsured.
The KIDS COUNT report, now in its 15th year, is published by the Citizens for Missouri’s Children (CMC) in collaboration with the Children’s Trust Fund and more than 30 public and private organizations in the state including OSEDA. CMC is the only statewide child advocacy organization in Missouri. For Missouri county maps, click here.
Missouri ranks high in availability of locally produced food
Hundreds of thousands of Missourians can enjoy fresh, locally produced food this summer, thanks to the state’s 450 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms. CSAs are a kind of partnership between producers and consumers, who agree to purchase a portion of a farm’s output. Only five states have more CSAs, according to the recently issued 2007 Census of Agriculture.
Johnson County led Missouri with 17 CSAs, Boone and Daviess counties tied for second with 15 CSAs each, and Vernon County was third with 12, according to the Census of Agriculture. Only 14 counties and the City of St. Louis reported no CSAs. Click here for a list of Missouri counties by number of CSAs.
University of Missouri Extension’s Food Circles Networking Project provides information on several sources of locally produced foods. Click here for the Food Circles listing. Although several Web sites provide links to Missouri CSAs, none seem to offer a truly comprehensive listing of the state’s 450 CSA operations.
The CSA movement, which traces its origins to Europe, began making inroads in the United States in the mid-1980s. It has grown rapidly, as reflected by the fact that in 2007 the Census of Agriculture included CSAs for the first time. Click here for the complete Census of Agriculture. Concerns over food safety, awareness of “green” issues, and the localvore movement are among the things sometimes cited as driving CSAs’ growth.
Click table for larger version
Demographics
Grandparents head nearly 10 percent of Missouri
families that include children under age 18
Three-fourths of Missouri’s grandfamily households include at least one parent of the children living there. Less closely related children -- such as nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, and other relatives -- are part of nearly 20,000 of the state’s grandfamilies. Some grandfamilies include such relatives as well as children and/or grandchildren.
Among those heading grandfamilies in Missouri, 12 percent have a disability, compared to 9 percent nationwide. Housing costs consume 30 percent or more of household income for 31 percent of Missouri’s grandfamilies, a better showing than nationally where 37 percent are burdened with high housing costs.
In Missouri 15 percent of grandparents heading households with children under age 18 have a bachelor’s degree, compared to 12 percent nationally. Also, 78 percent of such Missouri grandparents have high school diplomas, versus 72 percent nationally.
For more information about Missouri's children, see the 2008 Missouri Kids Count.
Missouri Elderly Population Trends: Mostly Slow but Steady Increases
Overall, 62 counties gained seniors, with St. Charles, St. Louis, Greene and Jefferson counties accounting for some two-thirds of Missouri’s increase. Losses were experienced in 52 counties and in St. Louis City, which suffered the state’s largest numerical drop, 24,498, of those in the age group. (Click on map to enlarge it.)
St. Louis County led in adding senior during 1990-2000, with an annualized gain of 1,275 citizens -- but for 2000-2007 the numbers fell sharply, creating an annualized loss of 275 residents. During the latter period St. Charles County led numeric growth, adding 1,430 seniors per year, followed by Jefferson County at 567. Greene and Clay counties continued gaining such residents but more slowly than earlier.
Among smaller counties with fast growing senior populations, the rate of increase in Cass and Camden counties slowed considerably. Between the 1990-2000 and 2000-2007 periods Cass County’s annualized increase fell from 283 to 200 persons per year, Camden County’s fell from 198 to 131 per year. In terms of the annualized percent of change, both cases represent more than a 50 percent drop. (Click on map to enlarge it.)
To help identify such demographic changes over time, the MCDC’s new, easy to use, Population Trends tool can create reports by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, for selected periods from 1990 forward, for a county, a state or the nation. It can be accessed directly here.
Additional Resources
Population surges in some Missouri counties, but falls in others
More than half of Missouri counties gained population between 2000 and 2008, with several increasing by more than 20 percent, according to new Census Bureau estimates. The highest percentage increase, 39 percent, occurred in Christian County, followed by Lincoln (35.5 percent), Warren (27.3 percent) and St. Charles (23.1 percent) counties. Click here for a summary of how Missouri counties ranked. ….
Such gains were partially offset by losses in 49 counties, many of them north of the Interstate 70 corridor. Worth County experienced the highest rate of population decline, -14.4 percent, followed by New Madrid (-11 percent), Gentry (-9.9 percent), and Linn (-8.5 percent) counties. Overall, Missouri gained population, to 5,911,605, and continues to rank 18th nationally, as it did in 2000.
In the Springfield region, Christian and Greene counties accounted for nearly 48,000 new residents. Among all U.S. counties with 10,000 or more residents Christian’s growth rate ranked 44th. In the Kansas City region Clay County experienced the largest net population growth, 31,701, and most adjacent counties also grew. The City of St. Louis gained 6,172 residents, but St. Louis County lost almost four times as many. Adjacent counties Franklin, Jefferson and St. Charles experienced significant gains.
The number of people moving to a county versus those moving away was an important factor. St. Charles County lead Missouri with a net migration of 43,689 people, while natural increase (the number of births over the number of deaths) added 21,825 residents. It was followed by Clay County where net migration was 18,696 and natural increase 13,005, Greene County with net migration of 18,325 and a natural increase of 8,227, and Christian County where the figures were 17,134 and 4,060, respectively.
Click here for the full Census Bureau report….
2007 Census of Agriculture Released
The 2007 Census of Agriculture was released last week. Missouri continues to rank 2nd in the United States in the number of farms with 107,825 farms. Since the last Census of Agriculture in 2002 Missouri posted a one percent increase in the number of farms. OSEDA is in the process of updating web applications that integrate the newly released data. A more detailed report on trends is forthcoming. Summaries for the state and Missouri counties are available from USDA 2007 Census Publications
Economics
Missouri unemployment increased in June
but the rate of job losses slowed
Many of June’s job losses occurred in St. Louis and Kansas City, while employment levels remained essentially stable in Missouri’s other metropolitan areas. When compared to last June, nonfarm employment was down 53,000 in St. Louis and 23,100 in Kansas City. Both Columbia and Joplin lost 300 jobs compared to a year ago and St. Joseph lost 900 jobs.
Nationally, the unemployment rate was 9.5 percent in June. Regionally, the Midwest – which includes Missouri – has been the hardest hit, with the jobless rate at 10.2 percent, compared to 6.0 percent in June, 2008. In terms of the nation’s major worker groups, unemployment stands at 8.7 percent for whites, 14.7 percent for blacks and 12.2 percent for Hispanics.
Missouri’s unemployment rate rose slightly in May
Results were mixed for the state’s two largest metropolitan areas, with unemployment up in St. Louis, in part due to automobile industry layoffs, and down in Kansas City, where hiring increased slightly in many sectors. In Missouri’s other metropolitan areas the unemployment picture remained relatively constant in May.
Statewide, employment has fallen by 74,300 jobs over the past year, but there are some bright spots. Health care and social assistance employment is up by 6,000 jobs compared to a year ago, local and Federal government employment is up by, respectively, 3,300 and 2,700 jobs, and, private educational services added 2,500 jobs.
Nationally, 14.5 million people were unemployed in May, compared to about 7.5 million when the recession began in December, 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly 4 million of the unemployed have been jobless for 27 weeks or more, three times the number at the start of the recession.
The impact of property tax levies on services provided and quality of life of Missouri seniors
To help meet the needs of Missouri’s growing population of seniors, 46 counties have passed small property tax levies to support essential services such as nutrition programs, according to a recent survey. Conducted by OSEDA in partnership with the State of Missouri, the study found that counties spread throughout the state have adopted such taxes, which require voter approval.
There are a number of strategies Missouri uses to meet the needs of seniors, one of which includes property tax levies. Analysis of the effects of property tax levies on service availability, provision and access for seniors is still in its infancy. Given the growing number of seniors and the aging of the baby-boomer population, needs will continue to grow. Because of this population dynamic, the State of Missouri is interested in understanding how tax levies affect senior service provision so they can better work with communities in meeting the needs of Missouri seniors.
Missouri’s 114 counties and the independent city of St. Louis are eligible by Missouri statute to implement a mill tax to fund services for seniors. Thus far, 46 counties have done so. OSEDA partnered with the State of Missouri to conduct a survey of Senior Service Tax Levy Board chairs in eligible counties during 2008-2009.
Results indicate that the response rate of 50 percent (23 of 46 possible respondents returned surveys) is diverse in terms of geography and size of county. (See map below.) Thirty-nine percent of respondents represented U.S. Census Bureau-defined metropolitan counties, 17 percent were micropolitan, and 44 percent were rural.
Also of interest is the pace at which counties have chosen to use this funding tool. The enabling statute took effect in 1990. The first such tax levies were passed in that year, but the most recent levy was passed in 2008. (See map below.) Almost 80 percent of counties surveyed passed the levy the first time it was on the ballot. Most counties collect $.05 for every $100 of property assessed.
The top services funded through the tax are senior centers, nutrition programs, and transportation assistance. The average amount spent per senior across participating counties was $37.16, and the average amount spent per capita was $5.45. For a breakdown of each county’s per senior and per capita spending, view the map below.
Plains states lead in personal income growth
Despite an overall decline in the nation’s personal income growth rate between 2007 and 2008, the Plains states fared better than any other region, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Per capita personal income in the Plains region (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) rose 4.2 percent, surpassing the performance of the seven other BEA regions.
Nationally, personal income growth fell from 6.0 percent in 2007 to 3.9 percent in 2008, the lowest rate since 2003, according to the BEA. Click here for full BEA report. In terms of individual states, the largest percentage rise in per capital personal income occurred in North Dakota (9.0 percent), followed by Alaska (8.2 percent), and Wyoming (5.7 percent). The smallest increases were in Arizona (0.4 percent), Idaho (1.0 percent), and Nevada (1.3 percent).
In Missouri per capita personal income for 2008 grew 3.7 percent to $35,228, compared to the national average of $39,751. The categories making the largest contribution to income growth in Missouri were professional and technical services, state and local government, and, health care and social assistance. Categories that showed negative growth were durable goods manufacturing, construction, and, mining.
Education
Savings during 2009 back-to-school sales tax holiday related to location
The good news is that 62 counties, as well as St. Louis City, did participate. That meant consumers could save not only the 4.225 percent state sales tax, but the relevant local taxes as well. In addition to traditional items such as pencils, notebooks, clothing and shoes, the tax holiday included computers, software and computer peripherals.
Midwestern families with students in grades K-12 expect to spend just over $600 on back-to-school purchases this year, says a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation (NRF). For back-to-college purchases, the figure is about $680. By comparison, the national averages are $550 and $620, respectively. Americans will spend $47.5 billion on back-to-school and back-to-college shopping, the NRF forecasts.
Counties that did not suspend their own sales taxes
Cities that did not suspend their own sales taxes
Districts that did not suspend their own sales taxes
Why are Policy Makers concerned about Student Growth Models?
Student growth models have become a topic of interest to many educational policy makers because they track students’ academic progress over time—they are a measure of learning. Student growth models are statistical estimates used to assess the progress students are making toward being “proficient” in certain subject areas. They are also used to identify the amount of academic progress a student achieves between multiple measurement points relative to their peers. The use of student growth models represents a departure from how the state has previously viewed standardized assessment results from the Missouri Assessment Program test (commonly referred to as the MAP test). Historically, a status measure was used to illustrate the achievement level of students at only one point in time during their academic school year.
The student growth model approach allows the academic progress that a student exhibits over time to be expressed as a percentile. This student growth percentile (SGP) “examines a student’s current achievement relative to their academic peers...who have walked the same achievement path in the past1.” This measure incorporates and also controls for the student’s previous years’ scores. A student with an SGP of 44 has shown academic growth at or above 44% of all other students within their cohort.
For example, the chart titled ‘Median MAP Student Growth Percentile by School Pct. Minority Students (all grades 4-8)’ displays the median student growth percentile2 of students in communication arts and mathematics relative to the percentage of minority students in their schools. In this chart, it would appear that there is a significant decrease in student growth for children in schools with a high percentage of minority students.
The next chart, titled ‘Median MAP Student Growth Percentile by School Percentage Free or Reduced Lunch (all grades 4-8)’ shows a significant negative relationship between school-level poverty (pct. of students receiving free or reduced price lunch) and student academic growth. Since we know that poverty and minority status are interrelated, these two charts demonstrate that the meaningfulness of such comparative frameworks depends on the completeness of the model and the extent to which other important variables are taken into account.
Although, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act required states to meet adequate yearly progress3 (AYP) targets on an annual basis, student growth models are becoming more frequently used by states in conjunction with status measures to illustrate the academic progress students have made from one year to the next.
Consequently, some policy makers have taken an interest in growth models because they feel that these measures can help schools understand the trajectory of their improvement in addition to their proficiency status at a particular point in time. Thus, growth models can help inform the impact, over time, of changes in instructional practices.
1 Betenbenner, D. (March 2009). A Primer on Student Growth Percentiles. The Center for Assessment.
2 The median student growth percentile is identified as the middle score in a distribution of scores ranked from highest to lowest. Medians are similar to averages because they can provide insight as to whether students in schools are growing at small, usual or rapid rates.
3 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) – is an accountability measure established under the NCLB Act to help states determine if schools are meeting academic content standards on state standardized tests.
Savings possible during 2009 back-to-school sales tax holiday will depend on location
The good news is that 62 counties, as well as St. Louis City, are participating, which means consumers can save not only the 4.225 percent state sales tax, but the relevant local taxes as well. In addition to traditional items such as pencils, notebooks, clothing and shoes, the tax holiday includes computers, software and computer peripherals. Description of qualified items and exemption limits
Midwestern families with students in grades K-12 expect to spend just over $600 on back-to-school purchases this year, says a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation (NRF). For back-to-college purchases, the figure is about $680. By comparison, the national averages are $550 and $620, respectively. Americans will spend $47.5 billion on back-to-school and back-to-college shopping, the NRF forecasts.
Counties not suspending their own sales taxes
Cities not suspending their own sales taxes
Districts not suspending their own sales taxes
The Impact of the Economic Recession on Community College Enrollment in the State of Missouri
Since December 2007, the U.S. economy has been classified as in a recession. According to economists, a recession is “a broad-based and protracted downturn in economic activity”1. The devastating collapse of the automobile industry and an unprecedented number of housing foreclosures, coupled with a significant loss of jobs in various sectors has contributed to the downward spiral of economic activity over the last two years. Steven Bushong, writer for the Chronicle of Higher Education, says, “the downturn in the economy has coincided with enrollment increases at many community colleges2.”Consequently, the scarcity of employment opportunities and fear of job insecurities have forced individuals who were long time members of the workforce that recently lost their jobs to enroll in two year institutions. In addition, persons in their early 20’s and recent high school graduates have also chosen to enroll in community colleges in addition to, or as an alternative to workforce participation.
Recent statistics indicate that students who graduate from community colleges are less likely to experience unemployment compared to those who have only earned high school diplomas. According to Sara Murray, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, the unemployment rate for high school graduates is above 11 percent as compared to a little over six percent for persons with associate degrees3. New York Times correspondent, Steven Greenhouse refers to the cohort of individuals who are faced with the challenge of deciding on a career path during a time when the nation is in a state of economic turmoil as “Generation R- Generation Recession”4.
Across the State of Missouri, the recession has had a significant impact on enrollment in two year institutions. As of spring 2009, almost ninety thousand students in Missouri attended community colleges. This includes an additional five thousand students enrolled in community colleges than the previous spring5, equating to a little over a five percent enrollment increase from 2008 to 2009. Over the last year, Moberly Area Community College (MACC) has reported an overall thirty-four percent increase in enrollment and a twenty-one percent general increase on their main campus6.
St. Charles Community College has also seen a two percent increase in their young male enrollment. Many of the young men who would have likely landed a job in the construction field realized that there were not any available and chose to enroll in St. Charles Community College7. Crowder College experienced an 11 percent increase in student enrollment for spring 20098 and St Louis Community College (STLCC) reported a 13 percent increase in their enrollment for summer 2009. STLCC attributes their increase to students who attend other colleges and universities during the fall, but have chosen to earn needed credits by enrolling in summer courses at STLCC. They also report that their affordable tuition rate and fewer job opportunities for college students have contributed to their summer boost in enrollment9. Given the affluence in a predominantly urban area such as St. Louis, it is likely that community college enrollment would be on the rise. However, it is surprising to see that highest increase in two year college enrollment occurred in Moberly, a rural town located in northern Missouri. The bar graph below lists the percent increase in community college enrollment throughout the State of Missouri for spring 2008 and 2009 semesters.
The increase in enrollment rates presents several challenges for community colleges across the nation. Many of them struggle to schedule courses when classrooms are available and create online classes to supplement on site courses in order to meet the needs of a larger student population.
Moreover, many of the students who choose to enroll in on site courses at community colleges discover that space is no longer available. Although enrollment rates continue to rise, several of these institutions do not possess the capacity to accommodate the academic needs of more students. As a result, students who decide to pursue an associate’s degree during the recession are at the mercy of community colleges and their employment fate is left in the hands of a diminishing economy.
1 Information on the United States Economy
2 Increase in Community College enrollments
3 Community colleges pay off for job seekers
4 More information on Generation R
5 Community college enrollment increase in Missouri.
6 Increase in enrollment at Moberly Area Community College.
7 More information about increase in community college enrollments
8 Enrollment increases within community colleges in Missouri
9 Increase in enrollment at STLCC
Accuracy of high school graduation rates questioned
The nation’s high school graduation rate is lower than widely reported, and the gap between majority and minority student graduation rates is larger, says a new study from the Educational Testing Service’s Policy Information Center.
Many factors play a role in dropping out, with the process beginning well before high school. Low grades, absenteeism, disciplinary issues and changing schools are among the warning signs. Unfortunately, inaccurate graduation data make it difficult to develop and evaluate ways to keep students in school.
Based on the work of several researchers, the study found that actual graduation rates are much lower than reported by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, and generally lower than many states report. Also, the true difference between graduation rates for majority and minority students remains high and shows little sign of changing for the better. Read more...
Adult literacy skills improving in Missouri
The percentage of Missourians lacking basic literacy skills declined from 13 percent to seven percent between 1992 and 2003, according to new estimates from the National Center for Education Statistics. Platte and St. Charles counties made the best showing, as just four percent of adults living there lacked basic literacy skills in 2003. Read more...
Showing the greatest improvement between 1992 and 2003 were Pemiscot, Ripley and Washington counties and St. Louis City, according to data in the Center’s National Assessment of Adult Literacy report. Only one Missouri county, Nodaway, did not show improvement, with the literacy rate there unchanged.
For Missouri county and United States maps of literacy rates, click here.
Public Health
Older adults who use walkers or canes not immune from fall-related injuries
Walkers and canes are vital mobility aids for many people, but they also play a role in thousands of injuries, says a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. Each year more than 47,000 Americans ages 65 and older were treated in emergency rooms for falls involving walkers and canes, according to national data from 2001 to 2006. Those with walkers were some seven times as likely to be injured as those using canes. Click here to view the study.
For older adults falls can have drastic consequences. In Missouri, at least 20 percent of seniors who fall sustain moderate to severe injuries such as hip fractures and head trauma. Many never fully recover, a major reason falls are involved in some 40 percent of nursing home admissions, according to the Missouri Senior Report 2008. Click here to view the article. The chance of dying as a result of a falls increases dramatically with age -- those 85 and older are more than ten times as likely to die as a result of falling than those 65-74.
Suggestions for reducing the chances of falling are offered in the Missouri Senior Report. These range from making sure rooms, halls and stairways are properly illuminated to participating in a physical activity program that improves strength, balance and gait.
The Missouri Senior Report is a collaborative effort by the University of Missouri’s Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the Missouri Area Agencies on Aging, and University of Missouri Extension.
Lead poisoning impacts children throughout Missouri
Lead poisoning is one of the most common and preventable environmental health problems today. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) establishes the level of 10 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or greater to be the recommended level of concern regarding an elevated blood lead level. Almost half a million children in the United States are estimated to have elevated blood lead levels and, according to 2008 Missouri blood lead testing data, 1,114 (1.2%) of children under the age of six were identified with elevated blood lead levels. (See map below.)
Lead poisoning is most harmful to young children under six years of age and especially to children less than three years of age due to their rapidly developing and immature body systems. Exposure to lead can affect almost every organ and system in the body, especially the brain, central nervous system, kidneys, and immune system. Lead can also decrease calcium absorption in the body making it hard to obtain the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
Lead can be absorbed into the body through the stomach or by breathing it in. Since young children often tend to put things in their mouths, lead can enter the stomach by swallowing contaminated foods, beverages, soil, dust or paint chips. Children are especially vulnerable to inhaling lead dust from deteriorated paint in poorly maintained older housing. A pregnant woman with lead in her body can pass it along to her baby before the baby is even born. The baby can be exposed to lead poisoning if the mother inhales or swallows lead before or during pregnancy. Even if she is exposed to lead before pregnancy, there may be lead stored in her bones that is released into the bloodstream during pregnancy and can be harmful to the baby.
The effects of lead poisoning cannot easily be seen or felt, but it’s important to know that it can be prevented. State, local, and community agencies have resources available to help families understand and prevent lead poisoning.
- Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
Healthcare jobs expected to increase significantly by 2016
When it comes to jobs, Missourians might want to keep healthcare in mind. By 2016 some 20,000 more people could be employed in the healthcare practitioner and technical occupations category than was the case a decade earlier, say projections by the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC). Registered Nurses are expected to account for nearly half that total, with pharmacy technicians and pharmacists also among the occupations with significant gains.
In addition, some 9,700 Missourians could find employment in a variety of healthcare support occupations, including home health aides, by 2016. Also projected to employ significantly more Missourians: food preparation and serving; office and administrative support; and, sales and related occupations. By contrast, the number of Missourians working in production occupations is projected to decline by several thousand. Click here for MERIC report…
Demand is expected to vary by location. For example, combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food, top the list in the St. Louis and Kansas City Workforce Investment Area (WIA) regions, while the occupation most in demand in the Southwest and Northeast WIA regions will be drivers of heavy and tractor-trailer trucks. Click here for a list of counties included in the state’s ten WIA regions and regional outlooks.
Among the 20 occupations projected to have the most openings by 2016, those paying the highest mean annual wage (as of 2006) include: general and operations managers, $98,030; accountants and auditors, $57,670; wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives, $57,270; Registered Nurses, $54,300; and elementary school teachers, $41,190.
This file last modified Friday August 28, 2009, 11:17:41
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