Erie County has a skilled labor force of 42,600 with 43% of these workers 25 or over having some college, an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a graduate or professional degree. In addition, the enrollment at the 39 Ohio colleges and universities within a 100 mile radius of Erie County totals almost 310,000 students providing a deep pool of college graduates for the region in almost all professions and disciplines.

The County’s labor costs are highly competitive with average wages more than 20% below the national private sector average and more than 10% below the State of Ohio average.  And While Erie has lost a number of manufacturing jobs like other parts of the Midwest in recent years, many of these workers remain in the area, providing Erie County with a significant reservoir of individuals with key manufacturing skills.

The following two workforce profiles summarize both the Erie County workforce and that of the five county Ohio North Coast Workforce Investment Board region for a more complete picture of the Erie County and Sandusky MSA workforce pool.

A SocioEconomic Profile Erie County, Ohio

Northcoast Workforce Analysis