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  • II. Strategic Elements

    The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a Strategic Planning Elements section that analyzes the State’s current economic environment and identifies the State’s overall vision for its workforce development system. The required elements in this section allow the State to develop data-driven goals for preparing an educated and skilled workforce and to identify successful strategies for aligning workforce development programs. Unless otherwise noted, all Strategic Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs.

II. a. 1. A. Economic Analysis (A.I -A.III)

The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an analysis of the economic conditions and trends in the State, including sub-State regions and any specific economic areas identified by the State. This must include-

  • i. Existing Demand Industry Sectors and Occupations

    Provide an analysis of the industries and occupations for which there is existing demand.

  • ii. Emerging Industry Sectors and Occupation

    Provide an analysis of the industries and occupations for which demand is emerging.

  • iii. Employers’ Employment Needs

    With regard to the industry sectors and occupations identified in 1 and 2 above, provide an assessment of the employment needs of employers, including a description of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required, including credentials and licenses.

Current Narrative:

i. Existing Demand Industry Sectors and Occupations

Existing Demand Industry Sectors

As of September 2015, industries with the most demand were all services-producing industries with trade, transportation and utilities generating the most demand (1,678,000 jobs), followed by education and health services (1,218,100 jobs), professional and business services (1,206,700 jobs) and leisure and hospitality (1,153,800 jobs). Construction (+6.6 percent) and leisure and hospitality (+5.3 percent) were the fastest growing major industries. As of September 2015, national annual growth rates (seasonally adjusted) in construction (+3.4 percent), manufacturing (+0.8 percent), trade, transportation and utilities (+2.0 percent), financial activities (+1.9 percent), education and health services (+2.8 percent), and leisure and hospitality (+3.0 percent) were less than the expansion rates for Florida. Florida (+3.0 percent) had the strongest over-the-year seasonally adjusted growth rate among the ten most populous states in September 2015, California was next at 2.8 percent and North Carolina ranked third (+2.6 percent). Among all states, Florida ranked fifth and California ranked sixth in seasonally adjusted annual growth rate.

Figure 2.01

Nonagricultural Employment in Florida, Seasonally Adjusted

Industry TitleSeptember2015August 2015September2014Over the Month ChangeLevelOver the Month Change %Over the Year ChangeLevelOver the Year Change%
Total Nonagricultural Employment8,113,9008,111,8007,878,2002,100*235,7003.0
Total Private7,040,9007,032,2006,806,5008,7000.1234,4003.4
Goods Producing771,300769,600741,3001,7000.230,0004.0
Construction429,500426,300402,8003,2000.826,7006.6
Manufacturing336,300337,800332,800-1,500-0.43,5001.1
Durable Goods228,900230,400224,300-1,500-0.74,6002.1
Nondurable Goods107,400107,400108,50000.0-1,100-1.0
Service Providing7,342,6007,342,2007,136,900400*205,7002.9
Private Service Providing6,269,6006,262,6006,065,2007,0000.1204,4003.4
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities1,678,0001,677,2001,633,500800*44,5002.7
Wholesale Trade338,500337,600330,5009000.38,0002.4
Retail Trade1,073,4001,075,1001,048,000-1,700-0.225,4002.4
Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities266,100264,500255,0001,6000.611,1004.4
Information134,400135,300136,300-900-0.7-1,900-1.4
Financial Activities539,800536,300524,8003,5000.715,0002.9
Finance and Insurance360,300358,300351,5002,0000.68,8002.5
Real estate, Rental, and Leasing179,500178,000173,3001,5000.86,2003.6
Professional and Business Services1,206,7001,210,5001,180,400-3,800-0.326,3002.2
Professional and Technical Services510,300511,800493,900-1,500-0.316,4003.3
Management of Companies and Enterprises98,90098,50094,5004000.44,4004.7
Administrative and Waste Services597,500600,200592,000-2,700-0.45,5000.9
Education and Health Services1,128,1001,220,4001,167,900-2,300-0.250,2004.3
Educational Services151,700153,400149,400-1,700-1.12,3001.5
Health Care and Social Assistance1,066,4001,067,0001,018,500-600-0.147,9004.7
Leisure and Hospitality1,153,8001,146,6001,095,7007,2000.658,1005.3
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation221,300218,900210,6002,4001.110,7005.1
Accommodation and Food Services932,500927,700885,1004,8000.547,4005.4
Other Services338,800336,300326,6002,5000.712,2003.7
Total Government1,073,0001,079,6001,071,700-6,600-0.61,3000.1
Federal134,100134,300132,100-200-0.12,0001.5
State209,100211,200206,900-2,100-1.02,2001.1
Local729,800734,100732,700-4,300-0.6-2,900-0.4

Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Labor Market Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, December 2015

Existing Demand Occupations

Existing demand occupations are occupations that have the highest number of projected total job openings. Total job openings reflect (1) job openings resulting from employment growth and (2) job openings resulting from replacement needs, which arise when workers retire or otherwise permanently leave an occupation. In most occupations, replacement needs provide many more job openings than employment growth does.

Existing demand occupations tend to be occupations that serve the most basic societal needs. The most common existing demand occupations in the U.S. labor market are low-skill, hourly wage occupations with high turnover. Florida follows the national pattern, with common existing demand occupations in the state, including retail salespersons, food preparation and serving workers, waiters and waitresses, and cashiers. However, some existing demand occupations in Florida are relatively high-skill. Such occupations include registered nurses, accountants and auditors, and elementary school teachers.

The top five existing demand occupations for Florida statewide are related to customer service and hospitality. Retail salespersons is the top existing demand occupation, with 142,563 projected total job openings between 2015 and 2023. Two of the top existing demand occupations are the healthcare occupations registered nurses and nursing assistants, which have a relatively high turnover rate and will continue to experience employment growth as a result of the increasing demand for healthcare services, driven by population growth and aging, expanding insurance coverage, and technological change. Only two of the top existing demand occupations require significant technical training: registered nurses and accountants and auditors.

The following table displays the top 15 existing demand occupations (based on 2015-2023 total job openings) for Florida statewide.

Figure 2.02

Top 15 Existing Demand Occupations

RankCodeOccupation2015 Employment2023 Employment2015-23 Level Change2015-23 Percent Change2015-23 Total Job Openings2015 Median Hourly Wage2015 Entry Wage2015 Experienced Wage
1412031Retail Salespersons344,846391,25946,41313.5142,56310.18838313.34
2353021Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food231,200271,13139,93117.3115,0489.058.799.74
3353031Waiters and Waitresses210,126231,05320,92710.0103,3639.158.7911.84
4412011Cashiers223,396235,16511,7695.393,7269.228.8210.21
5434051Customer Service Representatives219,039249,98130,94214.178,20013.7710.0817.06
6291141Registered Nurses168,885196,50327,61816.452,99329.8924.2834.01
7537062Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand135,018150,70815,69011.649,37911.268.9114.62
8436014Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive185,531215,05129,52015.947,33214.5710.6117.57
9439061Office Clerks, General154,202167,73513,5338.839,31312.569.3715.74
10372011Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners124,617142,47817,86114.336,1429.838.7911.91
11373011Landscaping and Grounds keeping Workers100,774115,17614,40214.334,73511.009.0913.10
12435081Stock Clerks and Order Fillers120,597124,1283,5312.933,09710.988.9313.19
13311014Nursing Assistants89,500108,03518,53520.731,88211.499.8912.82
14352014Cooks, Restaurant95,857112,56416,70717.431,87611.489.3913.36
15132011Accountants and Auditors82,40594,05511,65014.131,05529.7220.8239.68

Source: Department of Economic Opportunity, October 2015

(ii) Emerging Demand Industry Sectors and Occupations

Emerging Demand Industries

Most of the emerging industries were chosen from among the 4-digit North American Industry Classification System industries with the fastest projected growth rates over the next eight years. Several industries were excluded because they belong in the existing in-demand industry sectors list. Some additional industries were chosen because of a strong increase in employment since 2011. Health care, professional and personal services industries top the lists of emerging industries. Emerging industries tend to employ a higher percentage in professional occupations.

Figure 2.03

Top Emerging Industries

CodeTitle2015Employment2023Employment2015 Total Change2023 PercentChange
5416Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services90,520116,27325,75328.5
6213Offices of other Health Practitioners48,36462,07713,71328.4
6117Educational Support Services5,2786,7311,45327.5
8129Other Personal Services29,51037,4397,92926.9
6219Other Ambulatory Health Care Services13,27916,6903,41125.7
6214Outpatient Care Centers51,24163,88512,61124.7
6223Private Specialty (Except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse)13,61816,6943,07622.6
5415Computer Systems Design and Related Services75,20092,08016,88022.4
6111Private Elementary and Secondary Schools60,19073,48913,29922.1
6113Private Universities54,49966,38711,88821.8
6215Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories20,36324,6254,26220.9
6112Private Junior Colleges5,3746,4601,08620.2
5191Other Information Services6,0577,6211,20419.9
5413Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services72,91287,21714,30519.6
6114Business Schools and Computer and Management Training5,0445,99394918.8
5417Scientific Research and Development Services16,84519,9303,08518.3
5414Specialized Design Services8,71510,2251,51017.3
5239Other Financial Investment Activities16,88119,7732,89117.1
5112Software Publishers11,55415,5131,95917.0
5419Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services44,73352,0387,30516.3
4889Other Support Activities for Transport1,8512,13128015.1
4452Specialty Food Stores14,82816,3751,54710.4

Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Labor Market Statistics, October 2015

Emerging Occupations

Emerging occupations consist of (1) new occupations in the workforce and (2) traditional occupations whose requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities are currently evolving in response to altered market conditions, new technology, and societal changes.

Some of the factors that cause occupations to emerge are changing technology, laws, demographics, and business practices. In Florida, common emerging occupations include physician assistants, civil engineers, registered nurses, and geothermal technicians. The most common industry sectors for emerging occupations are healthcare and professional services, due to ongoing advances in medical technology; life, physical, and environmental sciences; engineering, mathematics, and computer sciences; and psychology and the social sciences. Since emerging occupations are often driven by technological innovation, they tend to be high-skill occupations that require postsecondary education.

The majority of top emerging occupations occur in the healthcare (seven of top 15) and professional services (five of top 15) industry sectors.

The growth in healthcare sector emerging occupations reflects an increasing demand for medical services as a result of population aging, expanding medical insurance coverage, and technological innovation. There are several emerging specialties for physicians: hospitalists, who specialize in caring for patients throughout a hospital stay; nuclear medicine physicians, who use radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and therapy; and preventive medicine physicians, who develop ways to prevent disease and keep people from becoming ill or getting injured.

The professional services emerging occupations reflect an increasing demand for advanced engineering, quantitative, and computer software skills.

Energy-related sales representatives and geothermal technicians are two emerging occupations in the clean tech industry sector. Energy sales representatives buy or sell energy products on behalf of residential or commercial customers or utilities, and they negotiate and oversee contracts for energy sales. Geothermal technicians perform technical activities necessary for the generation of power from geothermal energy sources. In Florida, geothermal technicians are primarily involved with the installation, testing, and maintenance of residential and commercial geothermal heat pumps.

First-line supervisors of construction and extraction workers is prominent in the construction industry sector. The occupation is designated as emerging because construction supervisors increasingly work in the area of solar energy installation, which comprises the entire process of planning and coordinating the installation of photovoltaic solar and solar thermal systems.

The following table reflects occupations designated as “emerging” by O*NET OnLine. The top 15 emerging occupations (based on 2015-2023 percent job growth) are displayed for Florida statewide.

Figure 2.04

Top 15 Emerging Occupations

RankCodeOccupation2015 Employment2023 Employment2015-23 Level Change2015-23 Percent ChangeIndustry Sector Linkage2015Median Hourly Wage2015 Entry Wage2015 Experienced Wage
1291071Physician Assistants5,3087,2801,97237.2Healthcare46.5935.9553.94
2152041Statistician9301,23230232.5Professional Services26.2715.3736.74
3471011First-Line Superv. of Construction and Extraction Workers41,56352,86811,30527.2Construction26.4618.5932.75
4131081Logisticians5,4046,8621,45827.0Professional Services32.1122.3939.47
5291122Occupational Therapists5,9157,2491,33322.5Healthcare40.1329.4647.59
6151121Computer Systems Analysts21,02525,3304,30520.5Professional Services39.3426.6248.72
7172051Civil Engineers13,48316,1502,66719.8Professional Services39.1527.0748.96
8291069Hospitalists, Nuclear and Preventative Medicine Physicians15,48018,4542,97419.2Healthcare93.5856.21123.14
9292099Neurodiagnostic and Ophthalmic Technologists, Surgical Assistants7,2608,6341,37418.9Healthcare17.3312.7723.42
10299099Midwives1,2611,49223118.3Healthcare15.5111.5225.10
11439111Statistical Assistants2673114416.5Professional Services17.5711.3222.55
12291141Registered Nurses168,885196,50327,61816.4Healthcare29.8924.2834.01
13413099Sales Representatives, Energy Related75,59487,95712,26316.2Clean Tech23.4513.9935.02
14193039Clinical Neuropsychologists2,2242,58135716.1Healthcare40.6824.2852.56
15499099Geothermal Technicians13,63015,7702,14015.7Clean Tech15.8111.0119.13

Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Labor Market Statistics, October 2015

(iii) Employers’ Employment Needs

The needs of employers with respect to knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are provided for each occupation in the labor market by the O*Net system https://www.onetonline.org/.

By using the content in the O*Net database it is possible to analyze the knowledge, skills and abilities for individual occupations, occupational groups, or targeted occupations. The following is an analysis of occupations that are new and emerging, have rapid growth, and have numerous job openings. O*Net importance scores for the various KSAs were matched to the relevant occupational groups.

New and emerging occupations lean toward KSAs that rely on mathematical and computer knowledge, comprehension, listening, and thinking skills. The most important abilities emphasize comprehension, problem sensitivity, and reasoning.

Occupations with the most job openings focus on customer service and English language knowledge along with mathematics, while the top skills are thinking, listening, and speaking. Top abilities scores are sensitivity to problems, near vision, along with comprehension and reasoning. There is less emphasis on higher-level KSAs compared to new and emerging occupations.

Occupations with rapid growth look much like occupations with numerous job openings as defined by O*Net. Softer skills such as active listening and speaking are prevalent while abilities include sensitivity to problems, comprehension, and vision.