Talented Workforce
A Tradition of Skilled and Educated Workers
Historically, Summit County and Akron were the "Rubber Capital of the World" during most of the 20th century. Major tire and rubber companies were headquartered in Summit County, and they also maintained most of their manufacturing operations here as well. As those tire and rubber manufacturing jobs moved south and overseas, many of the headquarters, technical and research jobs remained. As a result, our workforce is particularly adept in professional, technical, scientific, IT, finance and insurance services. Additionally, the tradition of manufacturing remains strong in the County, with a large segment of the workforce continuing to participate in skilled manufacturing and advanced manufacturing jobs. Lastly, with three large hospital systems - Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Summa Health System and Akron Children's Hospital - a large portion of our workforce is employed and skilled in the health care industry.
Below is a breakdown of the labor force talent in Summit County by major industry:
Strong Talent in the Region
Summit County's workforce strength does not lie only within our own borders. Many of the men and women who live in Northeast Ohio live in one county, but may work in another. Taken as a whole, the labor force in Northeast Ohio consists of approximately 4,475,863 individuals, with 35.3% of those having attained an associates or bachelors degree or higher. Over 137,000 of these people work in professional services and headquarters operations across the region, 358,063 are employed in the health care field and 352,635 are employed in skilled manufacturing and advanced manufacturing.
Below is a breakdown of the labor force talent across Northeast Ohio by major industry:
