That same report confirmed the sombering news that, since the Great Recession began in 2007, the Midwest has lost 610,000 manufacturing jobs. Those positions represent 31 percent of all the manufacturing jobs lost during that timeframe in the United States.
Some other key findings in "The Midwest Challenge: Matching Jobs with Education in the Post-Recession Economy" include:
- Manufacturing and agricultural employment in the Midwest will continue to decline 4 and 1 percent (respectively) through 2018 as the economy continues its transition into a services-based economy.
- Manufacturing is still growing tremendously in output, and is more productive than ever despite a decline in employment. Manufacturing productivity per worker in 2010 was three times what it was in 1970; meaning fewer workers are needed to produce more goods.
- Despite the Midwest's heavy reliance on manufacturing, Midwestern states are no longer solely dependent on that industry alone. New jobs in the region will be in high-skill service industries, such as education and healthcare.
The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce is an independent, nonprofit research and policy institute that studies the link between individual goals, education and training curriculum and career paths.