(COLUMBUS, Ohio)– Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted today announced the launch of Ohio’s updated In-Demand Jobs List. The list was created through a collaboration between the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation (OWT) and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).
The updated list was announced by the Lt. Governor, who serves as Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, during the meeting of the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board today.
In addition to rolling out the updated In-Demand Jobs List today, Lt. Governor Husted announced InnovateOhio has designed the list into a new, interactive tool. The once static document will now be brought to life, allowing students, workers, guidance counselors, and all other users to manipulate the data to display information most relevant to them in order to better guide educational choices.
“The updated tools at TopJobs.Ohio.gov are built for Ohio students and workers who are trying to figure out what is next for their education and career,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “Ohio’s Top Jobs is a place for people who know they are ready for the next step, but need a little help understanding their options and designing a strategy for achieving their goals.”
In 2019, the DeWine-Husted Administration, using the newly-launched InnovateOhio Platform, created a new survey tool designed to solicit better feedback from businesses to better support the list. That new tool resulted in an 88% increase in survey participation.
Ohio is required to maintain a list of jobs that are in high demand. An “in-demand job” in Ohio is defined as one that A.) pays at least 80% of the state median wage ($14.10 or more per hour), and B.) has an annual growth in the number of jobs higher than the statewide average of 36 or annual job openings greater than 584. The In-Demand Jobs List is created using predictive data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), projections from JobsOhio, job posting trends, and survey responses submitted by Ohio businesses.
“We are very excited about the updated in-demand list and new website,” said Kimberly Hall, Director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. “The new list reflects occupations that pay well and have promising futures. The new website makes it even easier for Ohioans to find these occupations. Both are just the latest example of how we are aligning state and local resources to achieve a common goal: helping individuals across the state achieve their first or next better job.”
Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs List plays an important function as it directs 85% of federal job training funds offered through OhioMeansJobs Centers.
Both the list and the interactive tool are available at TopJobs.Ohio.gov.