July 20th, 2010
We’ve often talked about how Alabama’s high school dropout rate hinders economic development. Developers look for skilled workers when choosing new work sites.
An under-educated workforce is bad not only for recruiting new business, but for growing all sectors of the economy. High school graduates have increased earnings potential throughout their lifetime, and a high school education is correlated with better health and other positive outcomes.
America’s Promise Alliance recently released a report quantifying the economic impact of increasing high school graduates in a metro area. Some outcomes include increased home sales, increased tax revenues, job growth due to consumer spending, and increased economic investment. Their message: investing in young people today pays off in the future.
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Posted by Robyn Hyden