Mississippi Leaders: Building Tomorrow'''Today

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Mississippi LeadersBuilding Tomorrow...Today

• A PROFILE OF MISSISSIPPI Some Facts and Figures

Bo Beaulieu Southern Rural Development
Center Mississippi State University
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Outline of Presentation . . .

• Educational progress of adults and youth
• Population characteristics of the state
• The changing nature of our states economy
• Occupational projections Which ones will create
  the new jobs in MS?
• Challenges ahead!!

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The Educational Endowments of Mississippians
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Educational Attainment of Persons 25 Years of
Age
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H.S. Completion Rates of 18-24 year Olds
Percent
Source National Center for Education Statistics
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Table 2. Ranking of Graduation Rates by
State State Ranking Graduation Rate,
1998 Georgia 51 57 Tennessee
50 59 MISSISSIPPI 49 60 District of
Columbia 48 60 Arizona
47 60 Alabama 46 62 Vermont
6 85 Pennsylvania 5 85 Nebraska
4 85 North Dakota 3 87 Wisconsin
2 87 Iowa 1 93
Source High School Graduation Rates in the
United States (November 2001),
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Internet Access and Use by Public Schools in the
U.S. and MS
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Achievement Levels of 4th and 8th Graders in MS
-- Math
Source National Assessment of Educational
Progress
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Description of achievement levels

• BASIC
• PROFICIENT
• ADVANCED

• Partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and
  skills that are fundamental for proficient work
  at each grade level.
• Solid academic performance for each grade
  assessed. Students have demonstrated mastery of
  subject matter.
• Superior performance

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Achievement Levels of 4th and 8th Graders in MS
-- Reading
Source National Assessment of Educational
Progress
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Achievement Levels of 8th Graders in MS in 1996--
Science
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11
27
61
Source National Assessment of Educational
Progress
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Mississippis ChangingDemography

• The state experienced a 10.5 percent increase in
  its population between 1990 and 2000. With that
  growth has come increasing diversity
• Between 1990-2000
• Whites 6.9 112,638
• Blacks 13.0 118,752
• Hispanics 148.4 23,638
• Over the next 25 years, MS will witness a 14.8
  percent increase in its African American
  population 86 percent growth in its Hispanic
  population 8.5 percent in the white population

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Components of Population Growth in MS,2000-2025
45
55
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The Changing Complexion of the States Economy
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Employment Growth in Mississippi, 1989-1999
88.9
11.1
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Average Earnings Per Job
MS 74.4 of US
MS 75.2 of US
MS 78.9 of US
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Why the Increasing Gap in Average Earnings?
66.4 of employment growth between 1989-99 was
linked to the Retail Trade and Services Industry
sectors
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Hows the Agricultural Sector Doing?
Employment in the farm sector has declined more
rapidly in Mississippi than the nation as a whole
during the course of both the 1980s and 1990s
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Displaced Workers in MS, July 2000 October 2001
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Displaced Workers By WIA Regions
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1
4
5
3
6
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Demand for Better Skilled Workers Accelerating
or Not?

• It is true that many of the fastest growing jobs
  being created over the 1998-2008 period in MS
  will demand workers with decent levels of
  education
• BUT, largest number of job slots that will be
  created between 1998-2008 will require high
  school education and short-term or moderate-term
  on-the-job training

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Top 20 Occupations Creating Most Jobs in MS
68.7
31.3
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Ranking of Occupations Creating the Most
Employment, 1998-2008
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Top 20 Fastest Growing Occupations in MS
40.4
59.6
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Ranking of Top Fastest Growing Occupations
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New Job Slots Created, 1996-2005 in Mississippi
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The Bottom Line on Job Projections

• If you combine the top 20 fastest growing
  occupations with the 20 that will create the most
  job slots (removing any duplicates that appear on
  both lists)
• 61,160 new jobs are projected between 1998-2008
• 64.5 of these jobs will require a high school
  education, and some short- or moderate on-the-job
  training

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Challenges Ahead

• Progress has been made in MS, but much work
  remains
• Improving educational attainment and quality will
  be vital to the economic health of the state
• Addressing the needs of a diversifying population
  will be critical in the future
• Retooling current workers so that they can
  qualify for better paying jobs being created in
  MS and in the South will be important as well
• In addition, communities will need to explore
  various avenues for diversifying their economy

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Challenges Ahead

• It will be critical that we embrace the high road
  in terms of economic development activities
• Must build on local strengths develop a
  diversified economic development strategy
• MOST IMPORTANTLY. . . get the various interests
  existing in MS to work collaboratively in shaping
  the economic future of the state
• This conference is an important step towards
  strengthening and expanding the partnerships that
  can make it happen

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Thank You !!