regional disconnection data
22,805
young people ages 16-24 are
not in school and not working
in south king county and pierce county*
Opportunity Youth are 16 to 24 year olds not in school or working, many of whom have been impacted by foster care, child welfare, or the justice system.
As a community, we have a shared responsibility to support their growth, create pathways to opportunity, and ensure they have the resources they need to thrive.
who are opportunity youth?
Bridging the gap.
Among the 204,587 young people aged 16-24 in our region*, 22,805, or 11.1%, are neither in school nor working. These young individuals are disconnected from multiple pathways that could lead to economic growth, especially in a region where living costs keep increasing.
Trends of our 22,805 Opportunity YouTH
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23% or 5,245 of our Opportunity Youth are without a high school diploma or GED, disconnected from high school and not employed.
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67.2% or 15,324 of our Opportunity Youth have a high school diploma but no postsecondary credential, and are disconnected from postsecondary education and training, as well as unemployed.
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9.8% or 2,236 of our Opportunity Youth possess a postsecondary credential but are not currently enrolled in postsecondary education and are disconnected from the workforce.
Together, we can create and strengthen pathways that help young people thrive in every corner of our communities.
collective impact.
Learn more about the Sound Reengagement Collaborative and how our collective is working towards reconnecting Opportunity Youth and Adult Learners to education and career pathways.
Visuals created by Northwest Education Access. Data prepared by Equal Measure as part of the Opportunity Youth Forum Common Measures Community Report using the 2023 American Community Survey.
*Sound Reengagement Collaborative(SRC) Regional PUMAs Included:
South King County & Bellevue: Seattle City (West Seattle-Industrial & Southeast), Greater Bellevue City, Auburn City & Lakeland, Federal Way, Des Moines Cities & Vashon Island, Kent City, Renton City, Fairwood, Bryn Mawr & Skyway, Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila Cities & White Center
Pierce County: Tacoma City, Bonney Lake, Edgewood, Fife & Sumner Cities, Graham, Elk Plain & Prairie Ridge, Puyallup City & South Hill, Parkland & Spanaway, Lakewood & JLBM, Peninsula Region & University Place
Highest Rates of Disconnection Data from Measure of America’s Youth Disconnection Tool, 2023