Workforce Innovation Network Listening Session Series --
Overview of Input from Community and Economic Researchers

In March and June 2009, C2ER conducted a series of three listening sessions in conjunction with already planned gatherings of researchers and practitioners in Charlotte, NC, and Kansas City, MO. The meeting in Charlotte included invitees from C2ER’s network in North and South Carolina while the meetings in Kansas City included invitees from among a national group of participants attending the C2ER annual conference. Following is a summary of those sessions.

Data needs frequently mentioned included information about union membership and underemployment. Many participants felt that a standardized definition of underemployment that could be measured and tracked over time is needed. Of particular interest to economic developers are more timely occupational data and data on the economic value of benefits, especially health care, for workers employed in various industries. Many participants also expressed concern about the use of older job titles in public data. The lack of up-to-date job titles creates confusion among users at best and raises concerns about data currency and accuracy.

Consistently, one data element frequently requested was information on the skills of the existing workforce. This is needed to help current, or prospective, employers to gain a better understanding of local workforce capabilities. This is especially true for emerging industries and/or occupations in which the current volume of workers may be small, but future growth in demand for technical skills is expected. Also, participants indicated that they need more complete information about the knowledge and skill requirements of current known job vacancies as well as the skills of available, or underemployed, workers.

Users are currently seeking data on industry-level employment and wages at the county level that can be easily manipulated. They often turn to proprietary data sources because these providers are better able to respond to user demands and needs. Users indicated that cumbersome websites and old data make the public websites essentially unusable for most of their needs. This is particularly true in an environment in which current data are required to respond to queries from decision makers in an increasingly shorter timeframe.

Users also noted their concerns about the quality of public employment data due to mistakes made in assigning employees to the correct place or industry classification. Concerns about data quality were tied to the completeness of employment information provided through LMI agencies. Because LMI offices report only unemployment-insured jobs, they leave out important components of the economy. Among the information gaps, many participants cite a need for data on public employment, self-employment, or agricultural employment to provide a more complete count of the area’s industrial base and a more thorough understanding of the local labor market. While data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis is often used as an alternative source, data age is a concern, since the demand by casual users is for more current information.

Finally, one important suggestion offered was the development of systematic training for users on data availability, complete with continuous updates as new data sources continue to emerge. Instruction on how these data sources might be used, their relative advantages and disadvantages, as well as information about how similar sources differ are of vital importance. Although many of the participants are frequent users of regional labor market data, they continually look for ways to refresh their skills and keep up to date on available data.

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