CINCINNATI — A recent report released by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's Workforce Innovation Center is profiling the Generation Z workforce in the city and their value to an aging workforce.
Per the report, Gen Z — or people born between 1997 and 2012 — makes up Cincinnati's second largest age group population behind millennials at 478,920 people.
"Cincinnati is really fortunate that we have large corporate organizations in town that attract people from our local universities and other universities here," said Audrey Treasure, vice president and executive director of the Workforce Innovation Center. "You have the benefit of lots of different ideas and perspectives that can strengthen a business and organization and produce the best possible goods or services."
Treasure said not only is the generational cohort one of the region's largest, but it's also the most diverse with approximately 32.7% identifying as a racial or ethnic minority.
"When you think of things like racial and ethnic demographics, they come from a variety of backgrounds," she said.
The report, which exclusively covers Gen Z college graduates or students who are about to graduate, found more of the age group leaves Cincinnati post-grad than stays.
Nearly 42% (35,072 graduates) stay while more than 58% (49,328 graduates) leave, according to the findings.
"Lots of cities mid-size and otherwise are looking at ways they can attract and retain talent, and we are hoping to be the top of the list," Treasure said.
It's no secret there is interstate, and even intercity, competition to court the Gen Z workforce.
As it stands, the biggest competition Cincinnati faces is Ohio cities like Cleveland and Columbus as well as Indianapolis.
"We expect that lots of [graduates] will come to college, finish their four-year degree, and then go somewhere else, often, that's a bigger city or the city that they came from," Treasure said. "We understand that, but we also do a really good job of keeping people here who came from Cleveland or from Indianapolis or from Pittsburgh, because people like what Cincinnati has to offer."
Treasure said the center is working on a second white paper exclusively looking at those within the Gen Z cohort who took a different route to the workforce.
"That could be a two-year degree, associate's degree, or other credentials or high school graduation," she said. "We have a lot of jobs in the region that require specific skills, but not necessarily a bachelor's degree."
The report found that 278,619 jobs in the region require a bachelor's degree while 843,412 jobs do not.
The second white paper will be released in early 2025, Treasure said.
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