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We published on our front page last Sunday a story about the continuing decline in the number of jobs and middle class income -- locally and statewide.
Certainly, people who live and work here might not have seen that story as a huge revelation. But putting the numbers on paper, comparing them in a broad and detailed spread sheet with all 88 Ohio counties, for me, helped define the magnitude.
Since a 1997 peak of 99,265 jobs, the number of jobs reported in Trumbull County has fallen almost every year until it hit 66,926 in 2017.
Many Ohio counties saw service sector jobs grow to replace declining traditional manufacturing and industrial jobs, but Trumbull County was one of only 15 Ohio counties with service sector jobs declining since 2010.
It's true that raw census figures show Trumbull County's median household income has grown slowly through the last two decades, but figures adjusted utilizing consumer price index formulas spelled out by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics paint a much different picture.
The figures unadjusted for inflation indicate Trumbull County's median household income was $38,298 in 1999. That grew to $46,201 in 2017. But when adjusted to current inflation rates in order to give a fair apples-to-apples comparison, that same $38,298 was the equivalent of $56,523. That number declined almost every year until last year's median figure of $46,201.
Figures also show the nation's population grew 16 percent since the 2000 census, yet Ohio edged up only 3 percent. And Trumbull County population has fallen to 200,380 in 2017 from 241,863 in 1980.
Believe it or not, I'm not trying to depict total gloom and doom.
Rather, I'm trying to paint a true picture and then, hopefully, use it as a springboard in search of solutions.
And I'm not the only one.
Once again, the Tribune Chronicle has aligned with a collaboration of more than 40 Ohio media organizations under the Your Voice Ohio umbrella, all hoping to work together to report on and communicate with our audiences about what works and what doesn't work.
I say once again because last year, a similar Ohio collaboration of media looked deeply at the opioid crisis in an effort to engage our readers in community conversations with hopes of finding solutions. While we may not have solved that immense problem, we believe our efforts were meaningful in communicating, raising awareness and sharing ideas of what has worked in other communities.
And so we started our deep dive into the economy with last week's analysis of the jobs, income and population data that originated from raw information released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. The data was compiled by former Akron Beacon Journal investigative journalist and data specialist David Knox, who now works as a freelance journalist and is a team member of our statewide media collaborative. His data work was paid for by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, also a member of the collaborative.
Last Sunday's story began to set the baseline for an ongoing search for solutions.
Today, we continue the effort by coming together for a "community conversation," in which you and other members of the public are invited to come together from 1 to 3 p.m. at Warren G. Harding High School's gymnasium, 860 Elm Road NE, Warren.
Journalists like myself will sit with area residents to gain a better understanding of how lives have changed and what solutions may exist.
We'll be asking things like what's one thing you would improve or change in Warren to make it more vibrant? What assets, resources, and strengths exist in Warren? or What actions might we take to make Warren more vibrant?
I hope you will be able to join us. (Never fear, the time conflicts with neither the Browns nor the Steelers games today!)
The gathering is free, but registration is encouraged at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/your-voice-ohio-vibrant-warren-tickets-50007511814
blinert@tribtoday.com