The CWDC Empowerment Score measures individual, community and economic area characteristics that lead to greater job stability and increased wages for Colorado workers. This section provides details on the design, data and methodology that developed the scores. For questions about this methodology, contact Mereb Hagos at the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness – [email protected].
Empowerment Score Design
The empowerment score includes individual, community, and economic area variables identified by the research literature and by stakeholders as shaping the economic mobility of individuals as they seek better jobs and training. Below we describe the seven major categories and about 40 total associated indicators drawn from Connecting Colorado and publicly available data. Each category of indicators includes two to twelve indicators and has a combined “score” for the entire category. Counties are assigned scores in each of the categories. Some categories (education and training, job opportunities, and regional context) include indicators measured at the region level (OEDIT Economic Development Regions).
Empowerment Score Construction
For an indicator x, a score will be developed using the following equation:
Score: zi = ( xi − min(x) ) / ( max(x) − min(x) )
Where i is a county in Colorado
This equation normalizes each individual indicator’s distribution and makes it possible to construct composite or summary scores in each of seven major categories by averaging the individual indicators in each category for each county.
Below are final categories and indicators. The final Empowerment Score for each county is an average of the category scores.
Empowerment Score Details and Data Sources
We relied on various publicly available data sources. These include:
- American Community Survey (ACS)
- U.S. Census
- O*NET OnLine (ONET)
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) from Trainingproviderresults.gov
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)
- Crime Data from U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics (DOJ)
We relied on insights and data from private and proprietary and limited-time sources. These include:
- Brookings Institute report on Realism about Reskilling and related Mobility Pathways tool (https://www.brookings.edu/research/realism-about-reskilling/) (https://www.brookings.edu/interactives/wof-mobility-pathways/)
- EMSI Economic Modeling Specialists service
We also included information key to the work of CWDC and partners. These include:
- Credentials and Training measures in the Individual Achievements category from the Connecting Colorado client management system
- CWDC Bridging the Talent Gap Survey measures in the Leadership & Engagement category.
Key Concepts include:
In-demand occupations
- Identified by CWDC (https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/dhe.state/viz/AppendixB2020ColoradoTopJobs/AppendixB), earning more than the median earnings level of retail, accommodation, and food service workers. Excluding in-demand occupations requiring some amount of advanced education or training (ONET Job Zones 4 and 5).
Opportunity Occupations
- Same-wage or higher-wage occupational 1st and 2nd step job transitions for CWDC-defined front-line occupations, identified with data with the Brookings Institute, https://www.brookings.edu/research/realism-about-reskilling/
Related industries
- Industries where retail occupations (identified by CWDC: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VBF1bs2jQwlfGkLEx2BnyRsHPcBpc9_y-GqwYx7OGWI/edit) earn more than in traditional retail, accommodation, food service, or arts, entertainment, and recreation industries. These industries offer an opportunity for retail, accommodation, or food service workers to seek higher annual wages through leveraging their existing skills, experience, and training.
| Individual Achievements |
| Individual-level factors affecting economic mobility. Training completed and credentials gained by Connecting Colorado participants as well as high school graduation rates. |
| Subject Area | Indicator | Relationship to Economic Mobility | Data Source |
| Education | High school graduation rate | More mobility (+) | ACS |
| Credentials | Percent of Connecting Colorado population completing training with occupational certificate, certification, or license | More mobility (+) | Connecting Colorado |
| Training | Rate of training completion for Connecting Colorado population | More mobility (+) | Connecting Colorado |
| Neighborhood Characteristics |
| Neighborhood-level factors that affect economic mobility. Bachelor’s degree attainment and high school absenteeism rates, crime, unemployment, labor force participation, and cost of living. |
| Subject Area | Indicators | Relationship to Economic Mobility | Data Source |
| Cost | Cost of Living Index Score | Less mobility (-) | EMSI |
| Unemployment | Unemployment rate | Less mobility (-) | ACS |
| Labor force participation | Labor force participation rate | More mobility (+) | ACS |
| Education | Percent of population with bachelor’s degree or higher | More mobility (+) | ACS |
| Absenteeism rate | Less mobility (-) | IPEDS | |
| Crime | Crime rate per capita | Less mobility (-) | DOJ and ACS |
| Regional Education and Training |
| Educational and training opportunities at a regional level. Availability of training providers and programs in subject areas related to in-demand and opportunity occupations. |
| Subject Area | Indicators | Relationship to Economic Mobility | Data Source |
| Training Programs | Ratio of eligible training programs in related in-demand occupations to regional population | More mobility (+) | ETPL and ACS |
| Ratio of eligible training programs in related opportunity occupations to regional population | More mobility (+) | ETPL and Brookings | |
| Postsecondary Education Programs | Ratio of postsecondary programs in related in-demand occupations to regional population | More mobility (+) | IPEDS and ACS |
| Ratio of postsecondary programs in related opportunity occupations to regional population | More mobility (+) | IPEDS and Brookings |
| Industry Dynamics |
| Industry growth and racial/ethnic diversity. Retail, accommodation, food service, and recreation sectors, and industries offering related employment opportunities. Historical and projected job openings, industry employment and earnings, business size and new business starts. |
| Subject Area | Indicators | Relationship to Economic Mobility | Data Source |
| Primary Industries (Retail Trade; Accommodation, Food Services; Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation) | Employment per individuals in labor force | More mobility (+) | QCEW and ACS |
| Average annual pay relative to MHI | More mobility (+) | QCEW and ACS | |
| Historic employment growth, percent change over last year | More mobility (+) | EMSI | |
| Historic employment growth, percent change over last 5 years | More mobility (+) | EMSI | |
| Related industries (offering better wages to frontline workers) | Employment per individuals in labor force | More mobility (+) | QCEW and ACS |
| Average annual pay relative to MHI | More mobility (+) | QCEW and ACS | |
| Historic employment growth, percent change over last year | More mobility (+) | EMSI | |
| Historic employment growth, percent change over last 5 years | More mobility (+) | EMSI | |
| Employment per individuals in labor force | More mobility (+) | QCEW and ACS | |
| Opportunity Jobs |
| The number and character of accessible in-demand and opportunity occupations. Job openings, wages, and demographic diversity for opportunity and in-demand occupations. Number of completers of relevant training and education programs (for comparison to job openings). Automation risk to assess ongoing and potential change in skill demands across the region. |
| Subject Area | Indicator | Relationship to Economic Mobility | Data Source |
| Job openings | Ratio of in-demand occupations openings to labor force Ratio of opportunity occupations openings to labor force | More mobility (+) More mobility (+) | EMSI and ACS EMSI, ACS, and Brookings |
| Wages | Ratio of in-demand occupations median annual wages to median household income Ratio of opportunity occupations median annual wages to median household income | More mobility (+) More mobility (+) | EMSI and ACS EMSI, ACS, and Brookings |
| Diversity | Ratio of nonwhite population in in-demand occupations to nonwhite population in region Ratio of nonwhite population in opportunity occupations to nonwhite population in region | More mobility (+) More mobility (+) | EMSI and ACS EMSI, ACS, and Brookings |
| Program Completers | Ratio of annual completers from eligible programs in related in-demand occupations relative to regional population Ratio of annual completers from eligible programs in related opportunity occupations relative to regional population | More mobility (+) More mobility (+) | ETPL and ACS ETPL, ACS, and Brookings |
| Automation | Automation risk for frontline occupations based on county occupation mix | Less mobility (-) | EMSI and ONET |
| Regional Context |
| Other regional indicators representing outcomes related to economic mobility. Percent of households below poverty line and median household income. |
| Subject Area | Indicators | Relationship to Economic Mobility | Data Source |
| Poverty | Percent of households below poverty line | Less mobility (-) | ACS |
| Income | Median household income (MHI) | More mobility (+) | ACS |
| Leadership and Engagement |
| Sector partnership participation and employer participation in the Bridging the Talent Gap survey. The racial/ethnic diversity of management occupations across all sectors in the county. The participation rates of residents in the Census. |
| Subject Area | Indicators | Relationship to Economic Mobility | Data Source |
| Employer Engagement | Presence of sector strategy partnerships (yes/no) | More mobility (+) | CWDC |
| Percentage of employers who completed the Bridging the Talent Gap survey (Number of employers who completed the survey / number of employers asked to complete survey) | More mobility (+) | Bridging the Talent Gap Survey (CWDC) | |
| Management diversity | Ratio of nonwhite population in management occupations to nonwhite population in region | More mobility (+) | EMSI and ACS |
| Decennial Census Participation | Percent of respondents filling out mail-in census questionnaire, 2010 | More mobility (+) | Census |