Workforce
HIGHLY SKILLED LABOR FORCE
Every year, 22,000 graduating students and 15,000 military service members enter the workforce, replenishing the regional talent pool and providing a highly skilled labor force. Department of Defense spending supports 40 percent of total regional employment.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE
Keep this copy the same: Norfolk has a foundation of higher education institutions that can support a workforce development pipeline. Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Tidewater Community College provide a diverse set of programs that can equip Norfolk residents with the skills they need to engage in growing and emerging industries.
CONCENTRATION OF HIGH WAGE JOBS
Norfolk’s status as a hub for well-paying blue-collar and professional jobs is reflected in an average wage of $64,276 [1], excluding uniformed personnel in military-related occupations and including self-employed. This is higher than the Hampton Roads region and the nation and slightly higher than the Commonwealth.
[1] Lightcast – 2023 Average Hourly Earnings by Occupation. Excludes military-only occupations. Includes self-employed.
REGION’S JOB CENTER
Norfolk is a center of commerce within the metro with 149,383 [1] of the MSA’s jobs located in the city, excluding all uniformed military personnel and including self-employed. With such a robust job base, Norfolk is a magnet for the metropolitan area’s over 856,000 [2] strong labor force.
[1]Lightcast – 2023 Jobs by Industry. Excludes all uniformed military personnel. Includes self-employed.
[2] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), 2022 Annual Averages, Not Seasonally Adjusted
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Employment by Industry and Occupation
The subsequent data is for the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Since Norfolk operates within a regional labor market, and new businesses or companies would attract labor from numerous cities in the MSA, not just Norfolk, the employment by industry and employment by occupation data is supplied at the MSA level. Nearly two-thirds of regional employment are from just six industries: Government (Excluding Military); Health Care and Social Assistance; Retail Trade; Accommodation and Food Services; Manufacturing; and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services.
Similarly, the top six occupational groups account for 50% of all employment. These are: Office & Administrative Support; Sales & Related; Food Preparation & Serving; Transportation & Material Moving; Business & Financial Operations; and Healthcare Practitioners & Technical
2023 MSA Public and Private Sector Employment by Industry
2023 MSA Employment by Occupation Group
*Other includes the following Occupation Groups: Community & Social Service; Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media; Life, Physical, & Social Science; Legal; Farming, Fishing, & Forestry; and Unclassified.
