Workforce and Employment
14% of Akron households do not have access to a vehicle, compared with 7% countywide.
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.
by the numbers
Key realities shaping life in Greater Akron.
1 in 5
working-age adults in the region reported difficulty finding or keeping employment.
38%
of Summit County students met SEI’s college and career readiness benchmark
60%
of children under age 6 in Akron live in single-parent households, compared with 38% countywide
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14%
of Akron households do not have access to a vehicle, compared with 7% countywide.
$71,856
the 2024 ALICE Household Survival Budget for a two-adult household with two children in childcare in Summit County.
21%
decrease in Summit County's childcare workforce from 2019–2021.
All data presented was obtained from partners and publicly available sources across Greater Akron. Data reflects the most recent information available at the time of collection and may vary by reporting period, geography, or methodology.
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prayer
Pray for those looking for work. Ask God to provide meaningful opportunities for people seeking employment, better wages, or a fresh start.
Pray for barriers to be removed. Ask God to create pathways around challenges such as transportation, childcare, education, past mistakes, or limited access to opportunity.
Pray for employers and community leaders. Ask God to give them wisdom and creativity to create workplaces where people are valued, developed, and given opportunities to succeed.