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According to Opportunity Insight’s <br />Economic Tracker, the drastic <br />difference between the low and <br />high quartiles shows that lower- <br />income bracket workers are <br />disproportionately affected by the <br />pandemic. In Orange County, as of <br />November 15, 2020, employment <br />rates among workers in the <br />bottom wage quartile (<$27K) <br />decreased by 25.4%, middle <br />quartile ($27K-$60K) decreased by <br />1.4%, and high quartile (>$60k) <br />increased 6.8% compared to <br />January 2020 18. Minority residents <br />mostly held these lower-paying <br />jobs and went into this economic crisis much more financially insecure and unstable. <br /> <br />2Aii. Provide an analysis of the current educational and skill levels of the <br />workforce, the current needs of employers in the region, and any relevant skill gaps <br />between the two. <br />Orange County is home to major universities such as the University of California, Irvine (UCI), <br />California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and Chapman University. It has four community <br />college districts with nine community colleges. These community colleges educate approximately <br />310,000 students in credit and noncredit courses each year. <br /> <br />Orange County’s primary <br />competitive advantage is a <br />talent pool of highly educated, <br />qualified residents. In Orange <br />County, 48.8% of adults over the <br />age of 25 have an associate <br />degree or higher, while only <br />14.5% lack a high school <br />diploma. Orange County <br />residents who possess a <br />bachelor’s degree are 6.3% <br />above the national average, and <br />7.7% hold an associate degree, <br />which is 0.9% below the national <br />average. <br /> <br />18 “The Economic Tracker.” Economic Tracker, tracktherecovery.org/. <br />5% <br />0% <br />18% <br />1% <br />2% <br />46% <br />28% <br />Percent of workers in jobs paying $15.00 or less <br />Black or African <br />American <br />American Indian or <br />Alaska Native <br />Asian <br />Native Hawaiian or <br />Other Pacific Islander <br />Two or More Races <br />Hispanic or Latino <br />WhiteSource: EMSI Labor Market Analysis, 2021 <br />Less Than 9th <br />Grade, 7.8%9th Grade to <br />12th Grade, <br />6.7% <br />High School <br />Diploma, 17.1% <br />Some College, <br />19.6% <br />Associate's <br />Degree, 7.7% <br />Bachelor's <br />Degree, 26.3% <br />Graduate <br />Degree and <br />Higher, 14.8% <br />Orange County Educational Attainment <br />Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, <br />EXHIBIT 1