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Study Projects Big Shortage of High-Skilled Workers in California

A new study finds California faces a shortage of high-skilled workers. According to the report by the Public Policy Institute of California, 41 percent of the jobs in the state will require a college

Study Projects Big Shortage of High-Skilled Workers in California

A new study finds California faces a shortage of high-skilled workers. According to the report by the Public Policy Institute of California, 41 percent of the jobs in the state will require a college degree by 2025. But the researchers estimate only 32 percent of working age adults will actually have college degrees by then.

PPIC economist Deborah Reed says it could particularly affect the education and health services sector.

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Reed : In that industry, a large share of the workers have college degrees. And so, we would expect that when California faces a high-skills shortage, this is one of the industries that may be most impacted.

The researchers say the state shouldn't count on importing enough workers from other states or other countries. In fact, they say more college-educated workers are leaving the state than coming -- largely because of high housing prices. Their advice to the state is to focus on ways to increase college attendance and graduation rates.

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