STEM jobs are growing faster than the metropolitan Chicago's rate for all jobs, indicating a strong demand for highly skilled workers in the region, and these fields have also been more resilient than others in bouncing back from the recent recession. STEM employment is one of four new workforce measures available on CMAP's regional economic indicators microsite, a new resource for the economic development professionals, planners, and others who seek to understand the complex factors that shape our region's competitiveness in the global economy. On July 7, 2014, the agency launched the microsite with data and analysis on broad economic trends.  The rollout continues this week with the release of workforce indicators – educational attainment, workforce participation, the skills gap, and STEM occupations. These provide a long-term snapshot of workforce trends in the region and, where data are available, compare metropolitan Chicago to peer regions such as Los Angeles, Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. 

 

A skilled workforce is critical for regional economic growth. Many jobs that once required only a high school degree now require additional specialized training or a postsecondary education.  Ensuring that Chicago's workforce has access to advanced educational opportunities will prepare the region to compete in the global economy.  Data for the region show that approximately 43 percent of Chicago region residents hold an associate degree or higher, and over 80 percent of residents age 20-64 are either working or looking for work.  

 

An increasing proportion of the region's jobs are now concentrated in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.  Coming out of the most recent recession, STEM occupations now employ roughly 467,000 individuals.