In a survey released this morning by Scioto Analysis, 11 of 18 economists agreed that a misalignment between Ohio’s education and workforce training systems and employer skill demands is limiting statewide job growth.
Job growth in Ohio is currently down. According to a 2022 report by the Greater Ohio Policy Center, the state labor force declined by 91,000 between 2000 and 2020. Despite unemployment rates in Ohio decreasing in the last few months of 2025, the labor force actually shrunk.
Respondents voiced opinions that more focus is needed on aligning education and workforce training and employer skill demands in the state, but many economists agreed that this problem is not unique to Ohio. As Bill Lafeyette of Regionomics commented, “Based on my work with educational institutions, linkages between these institutions and business need to be enhanced. It has always been important for graduates to leave school with the work-ready skills (communication, responsibility, integrity, leadership, teamwork, etc.) that can spell the difference between success and failure in a career. But now with the pace of technological change, schools need to keep up with the rapidly evolving needs of business, and graduates need to recognize that they must keep their skills current or run the risk of irrelevance.”
Opinions on if Ohio’s regulatory environment has a negative effect on job growth relative to comparable states were mixed. Two economists agreed that the regulatory environment has a negative effect on job growth, eight economists disagreed, and six economists were uncertain. According to Bob Gitter of Ohio Wesleyan University, “Compared to other states, our regulatory environment is not that strict. There may be an effect but if so, it is a small one.” David Brasington of the University of Cincinnati, who agreed with the sentiment, noted that “Ohio has 246,033 regulatory restrictions, ranking it 6th in the nation, although the legislature is making a conscious effort to reduce this number.”
The majority of economists disagreed that Ohio’s tax structure negatively affects the location and retention decisions of high-skill workers, with twelve economists disagreeing and four economists agreeing. Curtis Reynolds of Kent State University noted, “Income taxes are not sufficiently high enough relative to other states to have a large effect on retention of high-skilled workers. Furthermore, the income tax has been reduced over the last 20 years without clear evidence of increased retention of those workers.”
The Ohio Economic Experts Panel is a panel of over 30 Ohio Economists from over 30 Ohio higher educational institutions conducted by Scioto Analysis. The goal of the Ohio Economic Experts Panel is to promote better policy outcomes by providing policymakers, policy influencers, and the public with the informed opinions of Ohio’s leading economists. Individual responses to all surveys can be found here.