3RWIB Unveils In-Depth Labor Market Analysis On The City's East End Neighborhoods

In a press release the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (3RWIB) unveiled an in-depth analysis on the labor market supply-demand imbalance for the East End area of Pittsburgh.

This analysis, found here, maps in specific detail the labor market supply and demand for Bloomfield, East Liberty, Garfield, Homewood North, Homewood South, Homewood West, Larimer, and Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar.

This granular neighborhood analysis marks a huge leap in evolving the workforce development system to meet employers and job seekers at the ground level. It is another tool in the tool kit to ensure the public system is as responsive and accessible as possible.

Some findings and neighborhood dynamics include:

• There are 21,000 jobs in the East End, 1.4 jobs for every member of the East End's labor force; however only six percent of the area's jobs are held by residents.

• Of the communities studied, Bloomfield has the highest labor force participation, highest median income, lowest unemployment rate, and has the highest level of educational attainment.

• Homewood West has the lowest median income of the communities studied.

• The average hourly wage for all jobs in the East End is $23.27, 11.5 percent lower than in the average wage for Allegheny County.

• In the coming decade, job growth is expected in entry-level jobs and those requiring more advanced skills.

Commissioned by The Pittsburgh Foundation, 3RWIB studied the East End to learn detailed information about the workforce needs of the community and workforce services available. This neighborhood labor market research comprehensively maps existing employers and industries; highlights industries that are growing and declining; and examines the education and skill sets people need to work in the jobs available in the East End.

As a result of this research, 3RWIB recommends and will partner with East Liberty Development, Inc., to implement a multipronged approach to strategic workforce investment activities in the East End. Those strategies include building a strong collaboration between human services and workforce agencies; implementing a mix of specific training opportunities driven by employer demand; and a long-term holistic approach to workforce development that focuses on K-12 programming.

3RWIB continues to explore opportunities for neighborhood-based investment in other areas of Allegheny County.