Skills-Based Occupational Transitions for COVID-19 Displaced Workers

This research identifies pathways for COVID-19 displaced workers employed in the hardest-hit occupations in the Philadelphia metro area to translate their existing skills into higher-paying occupations, some of which were more resilient to the pandemic. The research finds that a transition to a better-paying occupation requiring similar skills is available to half (50 percent) of workers employed in severely declining occupations not requiring a bachelor’s degree. This brief provides concrete examples of these transitions and offers ideas for facilitating occupational mobility for displaced Philadelphians.