Narrative: II. a. 1. A.

Mississippi Population Trends

Mississippi is a state of approximately 3 million people and has experienced an average annual population growth of 0.6 percent since 1950 (see Figure 4). Of the four local workforce development areas, the Delta area is the least populated and, over the last decade, was the only area that experienced significant population decline. In contrast, the Twin Districts is the most populated area with more than 1 million residents. The second most populous area is the Mississippi Partnership with approximately 900,000 residents, followed by Southcentral Mississippi Works with approximately 800,000 residents. In the last decade, the Southcentral Mississippi Works area experienced the fastest population growth at 8.4 percent. The populations of the Twin Districts and Mississippi Partnership areas grew by approximately 5.0 percent over the same period.

According to the American Community Survey, approximately 60 percent of the state population is white, and 37.4 percent and 2.9 percent are African-American and Hispanic, respectively. Asians and American Indians account for the smallest share of the population (1.6 percent collectively). Of the four local workforce development areas, the Delta and Southcentral Mississippi Works areas have the largest representations of African-American residents at 66.9 and 48.6 percent, respectively. In the Twin Districts and Mississippi Partnership areas, African-Americans account for 27.3 percent and 29.2 percent of the population, respectively. The Twin Districts and Mississippi Partnership areas are home to more Hispanics than the other two areas with approximately 3 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Mississippi has become one of the new Hispanic destinations in the country, and its Hispanic population is expected to grow at a much faster rate when compared to counterpart populations in established destination states.

Current Industry Structure

Table 6 reports the employment numbers for Mississippi’s current industry structure. Across the state, manufacturing employs 140,000 individuals, accounting for 12.7 percent of total employment. More significantly, Mississippi Works Labor Exchange data show that in 2014 manufacturing was the largest job creator in Mississippi with 21,415 job openings. Manufacturing not only provides the largest number of job opportunities but also offers high-wage opportunities. Since 2012, more than 300 new manufacturing establishments have opened in the state, and 50 of those are advanced manufacturers that pay higher wages than traditional manufacturers. Moreover, recently attracted advanced manufacturing jobs pay even more than existing advanced manufacturing jobs in the state — about $5,000 more, or an annual average of $51,000.

Table D2 (Appendix D) reports a detailed description of subsectors in manufacturing. Transportation equipment is the largest subsector with more than 25,000 people employed, accounting for 18 percent of total employment in manufacturing. This subsector includes major employers such as Toyota, Nissan, and Ingalls. The next largest subsector is food manufacturing with approximately 23,000 people employed. Furniture is the third largest subsector with more than 18,000 people employed. Machinery, fabricated metal, and wood products each account for more than five percent of total employment in manufacturing. Combined, these six manufacturing subsectors account for approximately 70 percent of total employment in manufacturing. Of the four local workforce development areas, Mississippi Partnership and Twin Districts have the largest numbers of manufacturers in the state, with 40 percent and 35 percent of total employment in manufacturing, respectively.

As a sector, wholesale and retail trade employs the highest number of people in Mississippi at 170,000, which accounts for 15.4 percent of total state employment (see Table 6). Within this sector, more than 37,000 are employed in general merchandise stores, followed by approximately 18,000 in food and beverage stores. Table D1 (Appendix D) reports subsector details for this industry. Healthcare and accommodation/leisure are two of the largest sectors in the state, accounting for approximately 15 and 12 percent of total state employment, respectively (see Table 6). Combined, these two sectors provide economic opportunities to more than 299,000 people in the state. Healthcare opportunities are most prevalent in the Southcentral Mississippi Works area, which accounts for 36 percent of the sector’s employment in the state. The Mississippi Partnership and Twin Districts areas each account for 28 percent of healthcare employment in the state; the remaining 8 percent of state healthcare jobs are in the Delta area. The largest number of opportunities for accommodation/leisure is in the Twin Districts area, which accounts for almost 38 percent of all jobs in this sector, followed by the Southcentral Mississippi Works (26 percent), Mississippi Partnership (23 percent), and Delta (13 percent) areas.

Natural resources, though not a large sector in the state, was the second largest job creator according to Mississippi Works Labor Exchange statistics, with more than 21,000 job openings in 2014. This sector is most prevalent in the Twin Districts area, which accounts for 35 percent of all natural resources jobs in the state. The Southcentral Mississippi Works and Delta areas account for 30 percent and 23 percent of all natural resources jobs in the state, respectively. The Mississippi Partnership area accounts for 12 percent of state employment in this sector. Detailed descriptions of the healthcare, accommodation/leisure, and natural resources subsectors are reported in Tables D3-D5 (Appendix D).

Figure 4: Mississippi Population Trends - https://swib.ms.gov/wioaplan/Figure4.jpg

Table 6: Employment by Industry - https://swib.ms.gov/wioaplan/Table6.jpg

Current Occupations

The top 10 occupations in wholesale and retail trade account for approximately 66 percent of all jobs in this industry (see Table D6, Appendix D). Retail salespersons is the occupation with the largest demand in the sector. Currently, more than 36,000 individuals are employed in this occupation. Cashiers represent the next largest occupation in the manufacturing sector with more than 28,000 employed. More than 12,000 individuals are currently employed as stock clerks and order fillers.

The top 10 occupations in manufacturing account for more than 37 percent of all jobs—more than 52,000—in this industry (see Table D7, Appendix D). Team assemblers is the occupation with the largest demand in the sector. Currently, more than 14,000 individuals are employed in this occupation. Meat processing represents the next largest occupation in the manufacturing sector with almost 8,000 employed. Approximately 10,000 individuals are currently employed as first-line supervisors or welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers.

The top 10 occupations in accommodation/leisure account for approximately 60 percent of all jobs in this industry (see Table D8, Appendix D). The typical occupations in this sector are waiters and waitresses, food preparers and servers, and fast food and restaurant cooks.

The top 10 occupations in healthcare account for almost 35 percent of all jobs in this industry (see Table D9, Appendix D). The vast majority of the top jobs are in nursing, including Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). An appreciable number of jobs in the sector are also in home care and childcare.

The top 10 occupations in natural resources account for 58 percent of all jobs in this industry (see Table D10, Appendix D). The top occupation in this sector is farmworkers and laborers.

New and Emerging Sectors

There are three major sectors that are clearly emerging in the state: advanced manufacturing, healthcare support, and tourism (the full analysis is reported in Tables D11-13, Appendix D). Advanced manufacturing accounts for approximately 83,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector as a whole. Of those, more than 25,000 are in transportation, including automotive, and are concentrated in the northeastern and central areas of the state. Other top subsectors in advanced manufacturing include furniture, machinery, electrical, and chemical. These subsectors are primarily concentrated in the eastern part of the state. The healthcare support sector accounts for approximately 13,000 jobs that are primarily concentrated in the western half of the state. There are more than 400 establishments in the state that support this industry, including facilities for general warehousing and storage, medical equipment and supply wholesale, pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing, and surgical appliance and medical instrument manufacturing. The tourism sector provides economic opportunities to more than 187,000 people in the state. This industry covers the entire state and is supported by approximately 10,000 establishments. Mississippi has truly become a tourist attraction and is providing economic opportunities in areas such as the Delta, one of the richest historical regions in the country.

Occupations in Emerging Industries

The top 10 occupations within advancing manufacturing account for approximately 39 percent of all jobs in the industry (see Table D14, Appendix D). Of all occupations, team assemblers are at the top with more than 11,000 employed, followed by welders, upholsterers, and first line supervisors that, combined, employ almost 10,000 people. The top 10 occupations within healthcare support account for almost 55 percent of all jobs in the industry (see Table D15, Appendix D). Of these, laborers and industrial truck and tractor operators account for approximately 28 percent of the industry’s occupations. The top 10 occupations within tourism account for approximately 45 percent of all jobs in the industry (see Table D16, Appendix D). Waiters and waitresses are the largest occupation, accounting for approximately 10 percent of all occupations in the industry, followed by food preparers and cooks that, combined, account for 19 percent of the sector’s occupations.

Employers’ Employment Needs

Information on employers’ employment needs was derived from three sources of data. First, as part of the effort to acquire input from the business community, a focus group was conducted with representatives from established and emerging industries. More than 20 employers participated in the focus group. Second, information was gathered from the state’s Priority One project, which is administered by the Mississippi Development Authority. Monthly, more than 100 employers are contacted to identify pressing workforce needs. The third source of data was the state’s most recent wage and benefits survey. This survey asks relevant questions about the skills and knowledge required for the business to succeed.

Across these three sources of data, a general consensus is that businesses are expecting to grow and that recruitment and retention of qualified workforce is a critical issue for sustainability, viability, and growth. On the whole, businesses reported needing workers with labor and trade skills and those with basic work skills (e.g., reading, writing, appropriate workplace conduct). The general consensus among businesses is that employees, across the board, lack core competency skills such as:

• Critical Thinking/Problem Solving – Exercise sound reasoning and analytical thinking; obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data; demonstrate originality and inventiveness.
• Oral/Written Communication – Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively; demonstrate public speaking skills; communicate new ideas to others through writing and editing.
• Teamwork/Collaboration – Build collaborative relationships; work in team structure; negotiate and manage conflicts.
• Information Technology Application – Select and use appropriate technology; apply computing skills to problem solving.
• Leadership – Leverage the strengths of others; use interpersonal skills and emotions effectively; organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
• Professionalism/Work Ethic – Demonstrate personal accountability, effective work habits, integrity, and ethical behavior; act responsibly; learn from mistakes.
• Career Management – Identify and articulate skills, strengths, and experiences; identify areas for professional growth and self-advocacy; explore job options and pursue opportunities.

Specifically, when asked about the competencies desired in a potential employee at low-, middle-, and high-skill levels, 93 percent rated dependability and reliability as the most important qualities for low-skill employees, 77.6 percent reported that initiative and a willingness to learn were the most important qualities for middle-skill employees, and 72 percent of participants specified leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills as the most important qualities for high-skill employees.

Employers also indicated that they are not fully aware of the resources and services available to them. Thirty-nine percent of employers stated that their employees receive training from community colleges, technical schools, or vocational schools; 37 percent reported that their employees receive training from universities; and the remainder indicated that their employees receive external training from other federal programs. Mississippi employers would like to expand their use of community colleges and universities in the delivery of training for basic trades and skills along with fundamental competency skills for low-, middle-, and high-skill workers.