Item 09 - Biennial Modification to the PY 2021-24 Regional and Local Workforce Plan

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Orange RPU 2023 Biennial Modification to PY 2021-24 Regional Plan 14 According to Opportunity Insight’s Economic Tracker, the drastic difference between the low and high quartiles shows that the pandemic disproportionately affected lower-income bracket workers. In Orange County, as of November 15, 2020, employment rates among workers in the bottom wage quartile (<$29K) decreased by 21.9%, the middle quartile ($29K-$73K) decreased by 8%, and the high quartile (>$60k) increased 7.9% compared to January 202023. The same data, as of November 2022, shows those in the bottom quartile still have the largest drop in employment rates compared to January 2020, at 23.3%. Minority residents mostly held these lower-paying jobs and became much more financially insecure and unstable in this economic crisis. B. Analysis of the Educational and Skill Levels of the Workforce, the Current Needs of Employers in the Region, and Relevant Skill Gaps Orange County is home to major universities such as the University of California, Irvine (UCI), California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and Chapman University. The County has four community college districts with nine community colleges. These community colleges annually educate approximately 310,000 students in credit and noncredit courses. 23 “The Economic Tracker.” Economic Tracker, tracktherecovery.org/. 5% 0% 18% 1% 2% 46% 28% Percent of workers in jobs paying $15.00 or less Black or African American American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Two or More Races Hispanic or Latino White Source: LIGHTCAST Labor Market Analysis, 2021 Less Than …9th Grade to 12th Grade 6% High School Diploma 17% Some College 19% Associate's Degree 8% Bachelor's Degree 27% Graduate Degree and Higher 16% Orange County Educational Attainment -2022 Source: LIGHTCAST, Labor Market Analytics, 2023 EXHIBIT 1