Equity
Closing gaps in income, education, employment, and internet access strengthens the region’s talent base
Income gains for Black and Hispanic workers are approaching 30%, educational attainment is rising, and unemployment is at historic lows. But persistent earnings gaps and educational attainment disparities mean more targeted work is needed to unlock the region’s full potential.
What this tells you
Job Growth
Unemployment rates are down, most prominently among workers identifying as some other race, Black, and Hispanic.
Degree attainment
Bachelor’s degree attainment is climbing for nearly all demographic groups, led by a 29% increase since 2018 for those of Hispanic or Latino origin.
Traded-sector employment
The percent of workers employed in traded-sector jobs with family-sustaining wages is rising among all demographic groups.
Traded-sector employment
31% of NEO's workforce is employed in traded-sector jobs with family-sustaining wages ($26.83 or more).
Degree attainment
Bachelor’s degree or higher attainment is up 29% for Hispanic or Latino individuals and 27% for Black individuals.
Broadband access
Black households with access to broadband internet increased 22% between 2018 and 2024.
Traded-sector employment
31% of the regional workforce is employed in Traded-Sector Jobs with family-sustaining wages ($26.83 or more).
Degree attainment
Bachelor’s degree or higher attainment is up 29% for Hispanic or Latino individuals and 27% for Black individuals.
Broadband access
Households with access to broadband internet has grown across all demographic groups, nearly closing the gap in access for Black and Hispanic households.
Ohio's economic future will be built by the people who are willing to learn, grow, and adapt. From advanced manufacturing to healthcare, it's important that we have pathways available to connect more people with those opportunities.
We can't grow our way out of a talent challenge. We have to find solutions with the people in our backyard and connect them to more opportunities in the market that exists today.
In a world where the internet has become nearly as essential as electricity, we know how important it is that our citizens are connected. We are committed to closing the digital divide in Ohio – not just in rural parts of the state, but also right here in urban centers like Cleveland where affordability can be more of an obstacle than access.
Metric 01
Tracks income across racial and ethnic groups to show where gaps are closing and where opportunities remain.
Over the past several years, Black and Hispanic workers in Northeast Ohio have seen noticeable gains in income, with increases approaching 29% for Black individuals and 42% for Hispanic individuals. This is a significant shift after a decade of comparatively flat growth. The gains coincide with a tighter labor market and expanded training and credentialing opportunities across Northeast Ohio.
Still, an earnings gap persists. Asian households earn $85,000 at the top of the chart, while American Indian & Alaska-Native households and Black households earn $40,000 and $46,000, respectively, at the bottom of the chart. Closing this gap will require stronger pathways to good-paying, in-demand careers and continued alignment between talent development and employer needs.
Eight race and ethnicity groups, 2018 to 2024. The story has two threads: income has increased for nearly all groups since 2018, but disparities between the highest and lowest earners persist.
Northeast Ohio · median household income · 2018–2024
Metric 02
Tracks unemployment by race, ethnicity, and gender to show how employment varies across groups over time and where progress is needed.
Unemployment rates are at historic lows for most Northeast Ohioans. By 2024, rates for White, Asian, Hispanic and those identifying as some other race fell below 5%, reflecting a strong and broad-based recovery across the region.
But not everyone is benefiting equally. Unemployment among Black workers remains above 9%, an improvement from 2018, but still significantly higher than other groups. Connecting more residents to good-paying careers and increasing labor force participation can expand opportunity, strengthen the region’s talent pool, and fuel continued economic growth.
Race and gender breakdowns, 2018 to 2024. Most lines hover near 4%. Unemployment among those who identify as Black or two or more races remain meaningfully higher.
Northeast Ohio · unemployment rate · 2018–2024
Metric 03
Share of a demographic group age 25 and older that has received a bachelor's degree or higher.
From 2018 to 2024, nearly all race groups saw an increase in bachelor's-plus educational attainment. Women saw an 18% increase in bachelor's-plus completions, double that of men.
Rising attainment strengthens Northeast Ohio’s talent base and helps more residents prepare for in-demand careers. Continued collaboration among higher education, workforce organizations, and employers can build on this progress, expand opportunity, and ensure talent development keeps pace with business needs.
Bachelor's-plus share by race, ethnicity, and gender, 2018 to 2024. A total of 8 of the 9 trendlines show steady growth.
Northeast Ohio · adults age 25+ · 2018–2024
Metric 04
Share of a race or ethnic group that has an internet subscription in the household.
Internet access is a crucial component to fully participate in a modern economy, connecting people to jobs, education, markets, and services. In Northeast Ohio, all race groups saw an increase in broadband internet subscriptions from 2018-2024. Black or African American households saw the largest increase, growing by nearly 22%.
The gains correspond with local investment in infrastructure connecting homes and businesses to high-speed broadband. JobsOhio and AT&T are wiring East Cleveland end-to-end with affordable plans for households with lower incomes. This marks a huge opportunity for a city that, a few years ago, had limited fiber options at any price.
Household broadband subscriptions by race and ethnicity, 2018 to 2024. Black households saw the fastest growth; Asian households maintain the highest overall rate of broadband subscriptions.
Northeast Ohio · share of households with broadband · 2018–2024
Regional initiative
In 2024, JobsOhio and AT&T partnered to bring a state-of-the-art fiber network to the entire city of East Cleveland and its 14,000 residents, and to offer affordable plans for low-income households.
Metric 05
The share of employed residents, by race and ethnicity, working in high-demand traded-sector jobs that pay family-sustaining wages. This metric shows who is who is gaining access to the region’s good-paying, high-demand careers.
The in-demand jobs metric, viewed through the equity lens, asks whether the region's fastest-growing occupations are being filled equitably across demographic groups, or whether patterns of underrepresentation will compound as those occupations scale.
Traded-sector jobs that provide a family-sustaining wage have increased across all demographics since 2018.
Northeast Ohio · top traded sector jobs · 2018–2024
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