FRANKFORT, Ky. — Each of Kentucky’s 10 Local Workforce Areas (LWA) is expected to have at least 33 occupations grow by 20 percent or more in the next 10 years. This growth will account for more than 280,000 total job openings, according to the Occupational Outlook Dashboard (2016-2026) from the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) within the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet (EWDC).
Kentucky’s projected occupational information is available through the KYSTATS Occupational Outlook Dashboard. The interactive dashboard displays wide variety of occupational information including job openings, growth rate, educational requirements, and earnings by occupation.
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are projected to be the fastest growing occupational group in five LWAs from 2016-2026. Transportation and material moving jobs are expected to account for the largest share of new jobs in three of the LWAs. Across all 10 Local Workforce Areas, more than 553,000 projected job openings in the next 10 years will require some education beyond a high school diploma, according to KYSTATS.
“The Occupational Outlook indicates positive long-term job growth for all regions of Kentucky, particularly in healthcare, transportation, and food preparation and service occupations,” said Dr. Jessica Cunningham, Executive Director of KYSTATS. “While there are similarities in job growth across the state, occupational groups experience different levels of growth in each Local Workforce Area, so it is important to look at the openings in each region over the next decade when you are considering a career path or changing careers.”
The Cumberlands LWA is projected to be the fastest growing job region in the state during the 2016-2026 projection period with an expected growth of 12.53 percent or 14,194 new job openings. More than 18 percent of the new jobs will be in the transportation and materials moving occupations. The Northern Kentucky LWA is the second fastest growing job region with an anticipated growth of 12.02 percent or 24,391 new jobs over the period. More than 22 percent of the job openings in Northern Kentucky will be in the transportation and materials moving occupations.
KYSTATS produces local area projections in odd-numbered years (e.g. 2019) with consultation from local workforce development professionals. Note: Perceived discontinuity between statewide and local area projections may result from a number of factors, including the use of more contemporary employment data as a primary input, methodological changes, etc.
KYSTATS collects and links data to evaluate education and workforce efforts through the development of reports, and provides statistical data to policymakers, agencies and the general public.
For more information about KYSTATS, please visit http://kystats.ky.gov.
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