NEW REPORT: Washington Kids for Washington Jobs

October 14, 2016

Washington will have 740,000 job openings over the next five years. That is one of the key findings from a new report, Washington Kids For Washington Jobs. The study, done in partnership with the Washington Roundtable and The Boston Consulting Group, examines the state-specific jobs outlook, shining a spotlight on the jobs that will be available and the pathways Washington students can take to pursue them

Key findings:

There will be 740,000 job openings in Washington in the next five years. State job growth is expected to exceed the state’s historic average and nearly triple the projected national growth rate.

Thirty-five percent of projected job openings are classified as “career jobs.” These are higher skill, higher compensation jobs with a salary range of $60,000 to $100,000+. More than nine in 10 workers who fill these positions will have a postsecondary credential or some college.

Forty-five percent of projected job openings are classified as “pathway jobs.” These are jobs that have salaries of $30,000 to $45,000 per year and offer a route to a career job. Nearly two thirds (64 percent) of pathway jobs will be filled by workers who have a postsecondary credential or some college.

Twenty percent of projected job openings will be “entry-level.” These jobs provide important opportunities for workers to gain basic employment skills. They have a salary range of $20,000 to $30,000 and offer limited opportunities for upward mobility. Nearly half of these jobs will be filled by workers with a postsecondary credential or some college.

The jobs outlook is strong, and the majority of openings will be filled by workers with a postsecondary credential. However, just 31% of Washington students go on to earn such a credential today. To better prepare Washington kids for the jobs of the future, we need to more than double the postsecondary attainment rate for students growing up in our state. The Washington Roundtable has set a goal: By 2030, 70 percent of Washington students will go on to attain a postsecondary credential by the age of 26. The Roundtable lays out a series of focus areas to help move our state toward that goal.

Click here to read the report.

Learn More:

Dig into job profile vignettes to get a direct look at some of the jobs that will be available, salary ranges and associated skills requirements. This is great content to share with schools, parents and students.