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Our People
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Ours is a comparatively young population, with
an average age in the MSA of about 35 years. Also
comparatively affluent, the average household income of
Wichita MSA residents is about $46,932. Sedgwick County
has the best ratio of high-paying to low-paying jobs in
the nation (97 high-paying to 100 low-paying), compared
to the national average of 35 high-paying to 100
low-paying positions.
Wichita’s MSA is a diverse melting pot of four
distinct cultures: European, African, Hispanic and
Asian. While European ancestry represents the largest
ethnic group, Sedgwick County’s Hispanic population grew
by 67% in the last 10 years compared to 39% nationally,
and the county’s Asian population growth has been even
stronger—72% as compared to 42% growth nationally. Given
this substantially higher growth rate for minority
populations, the Wichita MSA is forecasted to become
even more diverse over the next 10 years.
About 57% of the area’s population is married.
More than 83% live in an urban setting, andjust less
than 17% of the MSA’s population resides in a setting
considered rural.
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With more than 3,800 students
graduating from Sedgwick County high schools
each May and roughly 4,500 graduates attaining
either a bachelor or associate degree from area
colleges annually, the labor force is growing
steadily. The public and private sectors in the
city are working together in the development of
innovative training programs designed to meet
the growing demand for skilled workers in a
growing economy. The Wichita Area Technical
College enrolls over 13,000 students annually in
more than 100 occupational programs; a third of
those students are completing highly specialized
training for specific industries. Work force
recruitment and education/job training will
remain two of the fundamental business issues in
Wichita for the next quarter century, with a
projected demand for 130,000 additional
employees in the area by the year 2030.
The Kansas Constitution makes the Wheat
State a right-to-work state. Unions in Kansas
cannot attempt to collect “service fees” from
workers who choose to not join the union. Less
than 10% of the work force is unionized in the
Wichita MSA, and the percentage drops markedly
outside the aircraft industry. (Nationwide,
union membership hovers at about 11%.) |
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