How Kansas can solve its labor shortage, stop its population decline and begin to grow again

Kansas appears to be, very tentatively, emerging from the dust of a pandemic. And just like the pandemic itself, the emotional, physical and economic recovery is filled with unknowns, false starts, frustration, pain points and anxiety. But as with any change, we know our best response is, was, and will always be to embrace the struggle and seize the opportunity to grow. In this instance, that opportunity to grow is not only figurative, but also quite literal.

Recent nationwide census data indicates that for the first time in five decades, more than half the counties in the country lost population — two-thirds of rural counties, and one-third of metropolitan counties. Birth rate has also dropped significantly: average Americans of child-bearing age have 17% fewer children than in 1990, and 50% fewer children than in 1960.

For Kansas, our census results mirror this data reflecting only 3% overall population growth over the last 10 years. This is a noticeable slowdown in population growth from the years between 1990 and 2000, when the state grew 8.5%, and from 2000 to 2010, when it grew 6.1%. In fact, it’s the least growth the state has seen since the 1910 census.

This slow and steady “brain drain” has been the topic of conversation for businesses, schools, government entities, health care organizations and economic developers for many years now. There was a struggle to retain and recruit workforce prior to the pandemic; the speed of jobs coming back has just made that struggle infinitely more pronounced.

Read more: https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/03/how-kansas-can-solve-its-labor-shortage-stop-its-population-decline-and-begin-to-grow-again/