The Great Re-Alignment | How the Chamber is Future Proofing Toledo’s Workforce

Ask any business leader in 2025 what keeps them up at night, and they’ll tell you it’s talent. Not profits, not policy, but people. And in Toledo, that message hasn’t just been heard; it’s being acted on.

The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce isn’t sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone else to fix the workforce equation. Toledo’s Chamber builds infrastructure for people.

Back in 2019, the Chamber launched the Talent Alignment Strategy, a partnership with Lucas, Wood, Fulton and Ottawa Counties as well as the City of Toledo, University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University and Owens Community College and a wide network of educators, employers, and community groups. The goal was simple but ambitious: to align education and workforce systems with what local industries actually need. The 2025 update to that strategy reads like a regional audit of reality, and the findings are both sobering and promising.

It’s a strategy that adds value where it counts. The Chamber’s not just lobbying or networking; it’s listening. Listening to manufacturers who can’t find technicians. To small businesses trying to retain managers. To students wondering which degrees lead to real jobs. The result is a data driven roadmap that serves all stakeholders, businesses, educators, and individuals; and answers three questions that define any healthy economy:

1. What jobs are available (or soon will be)?

2. Who’s hiring?

3. How do I become qualified to land one?

We will break down three key trends below to exemplify what the 2025 data reveals about where Toledo’s workforce stands and where it’s heading.

1. The Vanishing Desk: Back Office Work Shrinks, Strategy Roles Surge

📉 5,400 office jobs lost since 2019

Automation, outsourcing, and remote systems have reshaped the corporate landscape. Since 2019, the region’s Back Office sector has dropped 21%, shedding thousands of clerical and temp agency jobs. Yet what looks like contraction is really a transformation.

Higher skill business roles; executives, operations analysts, financial strategists, have doubled since 2010. Owens Corning’s analytics and finance teams are a case in point; they’ve replaced data entry with data science. ProMedica’s operational redesign favors systems managers over secretaries.

This shift means Toledo’s corporate base is getting leaner but smarter. Paper pushers and task runners are fading, replaced by a new generation of analytical professionals steering the ship instead of filing its paperwork.

2. Code & Circuits: Tech Talent Quietly Powers the Region’s Next Wave

💻 Software, Data, and AI jobs growing 15% plus since 2019

The tech sector is still a modest slice of Toledo’s economy, but it’s growing faster than almost any other cluster. Software and IT jobs are up 15%, and degrees in computer science and mathematics have exploded; up 165% and 115%, respectively.

Universities and employers are responding in kind. BGSU’s new Data Science major, UT’s AI and robotics partnerships, and Owens Community College’s cloud and cybersecurity tracks are all direct responses to employer demand.

The Chamber’s bet on digital literacy is proving prescient. From logistics modeling at Amazon’s Rossford hub to predictive analytics inside Mercy Health, the quiet hum of code is now one of the loudest signals of progress.

3. Hands That Build: The Trades Make Their Comeback

🔧 4,100 annual job openings, most hard to fill

If there’s one message employers keep repeating, it’s this: we need people who can build. Advanced manufacturing alone accounts for more than 4,000 openings every year, many of them certificate or associate level jobs that don’t require a four year degree.

Stellantis (Jeep), Dana, and dozens of Tier 1 suppliers report chronic shortages of electricians, tool techs, and machine operators even as Penta Career Center and Owens Community College ramp up skilled trade enrollment. The construction boom around western Lucas County’s data center corridor has only intensified the competition.

These aren’t fallback jobs, they’re foundation jobs. Toledo’s manufacturing DNA still runs deep, and the Chamber is collaborating with regional workforce programs to ensure the next generation keeps that muscle memory alive.

4. Automation’s Shadow: Production Jobs Slip but Don’t Disappear

⚙️ 4,600 less production jobs since 2019

Production work has declined roughly 12% since 2019, the by product of automation, efficiency gains, and demographic shifts. But Toledo still holds one of the highest per capita concentrations of production jobs in the country.

At Jeep’s North assembly complex, automation hasn’t erased employment, it’s changed it. Fewer assemblers, more maintenance technicians and robotics operators. At Whirlpool’s Clyde plant, modernization has created new engineering and programming roles even as it reduced repetitive tasks.

The challenge now isn’t fighting automation; it’s training fast enough to keep people behind the control panels.

5. The Amazon Effect: Logistics Becomes a Powerhouse

🚚 10,000 new jobs: up 37% since 2019

If you’ve noticed more semi trucks on I-75, there’s a reason. Transportation and Logistics jobs have exploded, driven by Amazon’s Rossford fulfillment center, FedEx’s regional expansions, and the supply chain growth orbiting First Solar.

Distribution and warehousing now employ nearly one in ten Toledo workers. But here’s the catch: most of these jobs don’t require college degrees, and local certificate programs produce only about half the number of trained graduates needed.

That gap is precisely why the Chamber’s alignment strategy matters. By coordinating with schools and training centers, the goal is to formalize a talent pipeline that matches the scale of the opportunity. Because in the 419, warehouses are the new factory floors, and they’re hiring.

6. The Boardroom Boom: High Skill Business Roles Double

📈 Executive, finance, and analytics jobs up 100% since 2010

While minimum skill office jobs fade, Toledo’s managerial tier is thriving. Executives, management analysts, and finance professionals have doubled over the last decade. These roles, many filled by graduates from UT, BGSU, and Lourdes, reflect an economy moving from task execution to strategic leadership.

Local firms are taking advantage. Owens Corning’s operational finance hub, Waterford Bank’s expanding commercial team, and a growing network of boutique consultancies and family office investors are proof that Toledo isn’t just producing managers, it’s retaining them.

This is the Chamber’s long term play coming full circle: help businesses scale locally by ensuring the people who can run them stay local too.

By the Numbers: The Chamber’s Workforce Reality Check

The Takeaway

The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce isn’t just advocating; it’s executing. The Talent Alignment Strategy has evolved from a white paper into a playbook that’s guiding policy, curriculum, and investment decisions across Northwest Ohio.

The 2025 data paints a picture of an economy in motion: corporate work contracting, logistics booming, tech accelerating, and trades demanding renewed respect. It’s proof that Toledo’s next chapter won’t be written by one sector but by the coordination between them.

Because in this city, we don’t just talk about the talent gap, we build the bridge across it.

💼 The Advisor’s Desk

Welcome to The Advisor’s Desk, where the professionals of Northwest Ohio pull up a chair and share their best kept secrets; the kind that save you money, protect your business, and make you sound like the smartest person in the room. Each week, we tap into local expertise, from tax advisors and attorneys to commercial real estate pros and insurance veterans, to bring you practical tips that matter.

Do not worry, The Money Confessional will be back soon to spill the beans. For now, consider this your weekly dose of free consulting without the billable hours.

So, you finally started your own business?

This week’s expert: Mike Ivan, local State Farm Agent in Maumee

You did it. You took the leap, started your own business, and suddenly realized there’s a lot more to running it than just doing what you’re great at. Between payroll, clients, and keeping the lights on, insurance can feel like one more line item. But the right coverage can be the difference between a minor hiccup and a major financial headache.

Here’s what Mike Ivan, who’s been helping Northwest Ohio business owners protect what they’ve built for decades says you should know:

1. Protect Your Foundation Early

Before you hang your “open for business” sign, make sure your coverage matches your setup. Whether you’re running an office, a food truck, or managing rental properties, a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) bundles key protections like property and liability coverage and usually costs less than buying them separately.

2. Don’t Forget Your Wheels

If you use a vehicle for your business, your personal auto policy probably doesn’t cover it. A Commercial Auto Policy protects your vehicles, your employees, and your reputation if something goes wrong on the road.

3. Take Care of Your Team (and Yourself)

Workers’ compensation and health coverage aren’t just boxes to check they’re retention tools. “Protecting them protects your business.”

4. Plan for Tomorrow, Not Just Today

Many people overlook life insurance, but it’s often the smartest financial move you can make. A term or whole life policy can help your family in the event of something unfortunate happening.

5. You Might Still Qualify (Even If You Think You Don’t)

If you’ve ever been told you can’t qualify for life insurance, think again. State Farm’s Guaranteed Issue Final Expense policy can help with end-of-life costs like funeral or medical bills, no medical exam required.

6. Grow for the Future with Annuities

Once your business and family are protected, it’s time to think about your own financial future. Annuities can help create long-term income streams and supplement your retirement savings. Immediate annuities may guarantee lifetime income, while tax-deferred options allow your money to grow until you’re ready to use it. “A lot of people think annuities are complicated,” Mike says, “but they can be one of the most reliable ways to secure steady income later in life.” State Farm helps simplify the process guiding you toward options that fit your goals, not the headlines.

Local Angle:

Across Northwest Ohio, more small businesses are being launched than ever before, from Maumee and Perrysburg to Waterville and Whitehouse. Local agents like Mike Ivan, a longtime resident, BNI member, and Little League baseball sponsor, are helping owners safeguard their success with personalized coverage options for every stage of growth. Whether it’s business insurance, commercial auto, life coverage, or building long-term wealth through annuities, Mike and his team’s combined experience make sure local business owners can keep their focus where it belongs, on building their dream.

If you’re ready to review your coverage or explore retirement options that fit your goals, call or email Mike Ivan’s State Farm office in Maumee. Walk in, call in, or click in anytime Mike and his team are ready to help Northwest Ohio keep growing with confidence. Phone: 419-893-2742