1. Moving the Poverty Needle: Framing the Conversation
Presentation by Don Iannone
Dashboard Roundtable 4
SPIRE Institute
May 16, 2016

2. Agenda Breakfast and Connecting Welcome Introductions
Framing the Conversation
Panel
Questions and Discussion
Next Steps

3. Facts and Insights The Dashboard reminds us to look at the facts!
Use the facts to create insight.
Act in line with insight.

4. Poverty Projection for Ashtabula County to Year 2020
21.5%
1.3% average annual growth

5. Individual and Systemic Causes of Poverty
Multi-layered culture of poverty across generations.
Poor economy/Economic decline.
Wealth concentration/distribution.
Job loss/Unemployment.
Low educational attainment.
Broken families/insufficient family support.
Lack of work preparation (training, experience, work ethic other).
Health, handicap, and age.
Drugs and crime.
Insufficient number of quality jobs providing living wages.

6. Some Revealing Calculations
Median Household Income Ashtabula County 2014 = $40,304, which requires a $20.00/hour job.
Federal poverty rate calculation for Ashtabula County family of 3.2 = $22,536/year.
Cost-of-living discount factor (Ashtabula County overall cost of living is 77% of US = $17,353/year.
Ashtabula County population dependent upon public income supports (on any level) in 2011: 31.2% or 31,271 residents.
Hourly wage required to earn:
$22,536 = $11.00/hour
$17,353 = $9.00/hour
$28,170 (1.25 times $22,536) = $14.00/hour
$33,804 (1.5 times $22,536) = $17.00/hour

7. Jobs Available in Ashtabula County, May 16, 2016
Source: Ohio Means Jobs

8. Local Employment Dynamics
6,000-worker drop in county residential workforce since 2004 due to out-migration and dropping out of workforce.
500 working-age people per year leaving the county each year.
Jobs are Born and Die Every Day!
Even though jobs are being created in the county, the loss of jobs outweighs job creation:
2004: 44,270 jobs
2013: 45,410 jobs
Job Gains, : 22,893
Job Losses, : 24,976
Net Jobs: -1,860

9. Intertwined Economic and Social Realities (Let’s Discuss Them!)
Demographics (population growth, educational attainment, consumer spending, values and aspirations) and Innovation (technology coupled with talent) are the two biggest economic drivers:
Ashtabula County’s demographic trends?
Role of innovation in Ashtabula County’s growth?
Workforce sits at the intersection of demographics and innovation:
Demographic drivers (We need to deal with them!)
Innovation drivers (We need to capitalize on them!)
Poverty and economic growth are outcomes of social and economic realities:
Social realities in Ashtabula County?
Economic realities in Ashtabula County?

10. Questions and Hear What Our Panelists Have to Say
Questions and discussion.
Short panel presentations.
More questions and discussion.