Unemployment & Work Force Barriers
65% of Summit County reported homeless were between the ages of 24-65.
why it matters
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Workforce barriers are bigger than unemployment. Childcare, transportation, criminal records, housing instability, and the loss of public benefits can prevent people from getting or keeping a job even when jobs are available. Summit County residents specifically identified childcare and criminal records as employment barriers.
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Childcare is workforce infrastructure. Greater Akron employers and community leaders have identified affordable, reliable childcare as critical to whether parents can enter, remain in, and advance in the workforce.
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Employment directly impacts family stability. Summit County residents connected steady employment with the ability to afford housing, food, healthcare, transportation, and other basic needs.
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Removing barriers strengthens the entire community. With only 64.3% of Summit County residents age 16+ participating in the civilian labor force, helping residents access training, transportation, childcare, and sustainable careers can expand the local talent pool and increase economic mobility.
Akron by the numbers
4.9%
Summit County unemployment rate in 2025.
5,000
fewer people working than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
5%
of youth ages 16–19 are neither working nor in school.
14%
of Akron households do not have access to a vehicle, compared with 7% countywide.
5,900
children under age 5 were estimated to live in a childcare desert.
21%
decrease in Summit County's childcare workforce from 2019–2021.
5%
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