YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries are collaborating to address workforce participation challenges in the Mahoning Valley.
A recent community needs assessment conducted by Goodwill revealed a local labor force participation rate of 57%, significantly below the state and national average of 63%. Guy Coviello, Regional Chamber president and CEO, said the region is focused on overcoming key barriers to employment — transportation, child care, behavioral health and addiction — with the goal of adding 10,000 workers to the labor force by 2030.
Shelley Murray, CEO of Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries, emphasized that the assessment is being followed by strategic action, including the hiring of a community solutions director and the implementation of a collective impact model. Both leaders cited growing collaboration across sectors as a critical step toward expanding the talent pool and supporting economic development in the area.