Plan 2040 Goal:

Foster a Healthy, Educated, Well-Trained, Safe and Secure

Population Atlanta Regional Commission

For more information contact: mcarnathan@atlantaregional.com

Are Our Residents Prepared for a 21st Century Economy?

• In order to maintain a thriving and prosperous city, Atlanta must continue to attract high-paying, “new economy” jobs

• Growing a talented workforce from within is a key task to attract and create good jobs

• Key indicators examined here include educational attainment, education gap in the work force, youth academic progress, obesity, and quality of life for adults age 65+

Source: OnTheMap Program, U.S. Census Bureau

1. Higher Education

• About 35% of adults (25

and older) in metro Atlanta have at least a Bachelor’s degree, which is higher than the national average, but remains essentially unchanged since 2007

Source: Brookings’ State of Metropolitan America, American Community Survey

25

27

29

31

33

35

37

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Metro Atlanta United States

Percentage of Adult (25+) Population with at Least a Bachelor's Degree

1. Higher Education

• Compared to the 25 most populous metro areas in the nation, metro Atlanta ranks 9th in the percent of its adult population holding at least a Bachelor’s Degree.

Percentage of Adult (25+) Population with at Least a Bachelor's Degree, 25 Largest Metro Areas (2010)

Source: Brookings’ State of Metropolitan America

Higher Education: Percentage of Adult (25+) Population with

at Least a Bachelor's Degree, 25 Largest Metro Areas (2011)

Source: Brookings’ State of Metropolitan America

2. Gap Between Required Education and Attained Education for Jobs

• Education gap is measured by the percent of demand exceeding supply for jobs. The higher the bar, the higher the education gap

• Atlanta has an education gap factor of 6.4%, ranking the 16th largest. Atlanta ranks 71st highest in terms of the top 100 U.S. Metros

Source: Brookings Institution Education, Job Openings, and Unemployment in Metropolitan America

Education Gap, 2012: Percentage That Education Required For The Average Job Opening (Demand) Exceeds the Education Attained by the Average Worker (Supply)

Education Gap: Gap Between Required Education and Attained Education for Jobs

Source: Brookings Institution Education, Job Openings, and Unemployment in Metropolitan America

• Education gap is measured by the percent of demand exceeding supply for jobs. The higher the percent, the higher the education gap

• Atlanta has an education gap factor of 6.4%, ranking 71st highest in terms of the top 100 U.S. Metros

3. High School Graduation Rates

• Metro Atlanta has increased graduation rates from 67.9% in 2011 to 72.4% in 2013

• The 2013 rate is slightly higher than the state as a whole (71.5% graduation rates).

• While ascertaining a national graduation is difficult due to different graduation rate calculations, a report from Education Week released in 2013 pegs the national graduation rate at 75% for 2010.

Source: Georgia Office of Student Achievement, Georgia Family Connection Partnership

67.9%

70.0%

72.4%

50.0%

55.0%

60.0%

65.0%

70.0%

75.0%

2011 2012 2013

Graduation Rate, Metro Schools

• Last year, ARC conducted a survey of 2,100 residents in the 10-county Atlanta region. We asked them to rate public education in their local district as well as the metro area as a whole.

• While local districts got higher marks, 57 percent of respondents rated metro area public schools as fair or poor, showing that the perception of public education in the region is poor.

Source: Metro Atlanta Speaks Survey, 2013

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

Your District Metro-Wide Your District Metro-Wide Your District Metro-Wide Your District Metro-Wide

Excellent Good Fair Poor

How Metro Residents Perceive Public Education: Rate Public Education in Your District & in Metro Area as a

Whole

4. Early Childhood Education

• A $1 investment in pre-K and other early childhood programs can yield up to $8 in future economic advantage, according to one prominent study

• Between 2004 and 2012, a higher percentage of low-income families have enrolled in a Georgia pre-K program, which has gained national attention

Source: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Georgia KIDS COUNT Data Center

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

50.0%

55.0%

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Percent of Children of Low Income Families Enrolled in the Georgia Pre-K

Program

4. Early Childhood Education

• Atlanta ranks 13th out of the largest 25 U.S. Metros regarding percentage of three- and four-year olds enrolled in a nursery or pre-school program

Source: American Community Survey, 2011

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

Percent of 3-4 Year Olds Enrolled in School, 2011

5. Obesity

• Obesity is considered one of the best indicators for health. Health consciousness is permeating aspects of society more than ever before

• In metro Atlanta, obesity rates have risen from 20.9% in 2002 to 25% in 2011

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2002-2011

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

Metro Atlanta: Percent of Population Obese, 2002-2011

5. Obesity

• Despite the increasing obesity rate, Atlanta ranks relatively well in terms of change over time. Metro Atlanta ranks 14th lowest among the top 60 metros

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2002-2011

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Change in Obesity Rate since 2002

6. Quality of Life for Older Adults Age 65+

• Although people are living longer and healthier these days, older adults are still among the most vulnerable populations

• In part because we are living and working longer, the percentage of seniors who are considered to be in poverty declined over the past decade

Source: 2012 American Community Survey, 2000 U.S. Census

• Between 2000 and 2012, the overall poverty rate increased 7.1% in metro Atlanta, but the senior poverty rate actually declined from 10.2% in 2000 to 9.9% in 2012

0.00%

2.00%

4.00%

6.00%

8.00%

10.00%

12.00%

14.00%

16.00%

18.00%

2000 2012 2000 2012

Metro Atlanta United States

Percent of Older Adults (65+) in Poverty, 2000 & 2012

SeniorsAll Population

Summary

• Metro Atlanta’s percentage of population with at least a Bachelor’s Degree has remained constant around 35% between 2007-2011, with a ranking of 9th out of the top 25 metros

• The education gap in metro Atlanta is 6.4% larger than the national average, ranking in the top one-third of metros with large education gaps

• High school graduation rates have slightly improved from 2011 to 2012. However, metro Atlanta is still 9% higher than the nation in terms of teens age 16-19 not enrolled in school or without a diploma

• Early childhood education numbers are encouraging in Atlanta, with a large increase in low-income families enrolling children age 3-4 years old in programs

• Atlanta’s obesity rates have increased, but not as drastically as two-thirds of the top U.S. MSAs

• Poverty rates for adults over age 65 have decreased in Atlanta between 2000 and 2012; a very positive metric