NORTHWEST INDIANA'S LABOR MARKET PROFILE
(Inclusive of: Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper, Newton, Starke, and Pulaski Counties)The area designated by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development as Indiana Economic Growth Region 1 is located in the Northwest corner of Indiana. It is made up of the seven Indiana counties of Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke, and Pulaski. The Region is bordered on the south by Indiana's Benton, White, and Cass Counties. It is adjacent to St. Joseph, Marshall, and Fulton Counties on the east, Lake Michigan and the State of Michigan is to the north, and the State of Illinois to the west.
Northwest Indiana's Region 1 population estimate for 2008 was 850,789 up 3.3 percent from the 2000 Census total of 823,388. The estimated population made up 13.3 percent of Indiana's total for 2008. During this same time period, Indiana’s total 2008 population estimate of 6,376,792 was up by 4.6 percent.
Population pageAccording to the 2000 Census, 434,468 people twenty-five years of age or over were high school graduates and/or had post-high school education. This amount represented 81.8 percent of the twenty-five and up regional population. For the twenty-five years of age and over population, 87,530 or 16.5 percent were four year college graduates or greater. In 2007, 8,666 persons graduated high school that year and 7,016 or 81.0 percent intended to go on to higher education.
Education pageRegion 1’s estimated average unemployment rate for 2008 was 5.9 percent, the same as Indiana's average 5.9 percent. The region's unemployment rate was based on an estimated average residential labor force of 404,481. Of that labor force, 380,414 were employed and 24,027 were unemployed. Region 1’s unemployment rate reached a decade low of 3.4 percent in 2000. The rate rose to 6.2 percent by 2002.
Labor force pageIn 2007 the number of persons living in but commuting to work out of Region 1 was 73,696 or 13.7 percent of the labor force. About 86.3 percent of Region 1’s working residents worked in the region. The area outside Region 1 where the largest number of residents went to work was the State of Illinois. In 2007 the number of persons commuting to work into the region from outside areas was 22,613 or 4.7 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the region to work was the State of Illinois.
In 2008, Region 1 businesses had an average of 320,573 jobs. Three major industry sectors: Manufacturing, Government (all levels), and Health Care and Social Assistance dominated the county in terms of employment. These three industry sectors accounted for 44.0 percent of the region’s 2008 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the region was Manufacturing with 49,307 jobs, accounting for 15.4 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was up 2.3 percent between 2004 and 2008. Transportation and Warehousing showed the most job growth between 2004 and 2008, increasing 3,260 jobs or 30.8 percent. Accommodation & Food Services was second, adding 2,799 jobs or 11.2 percent. Transportation and Warehousing had the largest percentage gain at 30.8 percent.
Industry employment pageThe average 2008 earnings for Region 1 was $38,512 per year versus Indiana’s $38,405. The average industry wage rose by $4,554 or 13.4 percent from 2004 to 2008. The Utilities industry had the highest average earnings at $73,921 per year, with the Management of Companies and Enterprises industry second at $72,262, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Accommodation & Food Services at $11,597. Per capita income for 2007 was $33,215 in Region 1, up 24.5 percent since 2002.
Industry earnings pageRegion 1 has 18,164 firms, with 478 firms or about 2.6 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 70.9 percent. Also, the number firms employing fewer than 10 workers increased 2.0 per cent or 253 firms between 1999 and 2008 to total 12,875 firms in 2008.
Firms page