STARKE COUNTY LABOR MARKET PROFILEStarke County is located in Northwest Indiana. The county is bordered on the south by Pulaski County. The County is adjacent to Marshall County on the east, LaPorte County is to the north, and Jasper County to the west. Starke County is one of the seven counties located in the area designated by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development as Indiana Economic Growth Region 1.
Starke County’s population estimate for 2008 was 23,658, roughly unchanged from the 2000 Census total. 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, 11,005 people twenty-five years of age and over were high school high school graduates and/or had post-high school education. This amount represented 72.0 percent of Starke County’s twenty-five and over population. For the twenty-five years of age and over population, 1,286 or 8.4 percent were four-year college graduates or higher, ranking Starke County 87th highest among Indiana counties for percentage of this population who were college graduates or higher. In 2007, 265 persons graduated high school and 172 or 64.9 percent intended to go on to higher education.
Education pageStarke County’s estimated average unemployment rate for 2008 was 7.9 percent, above Indiana’s annual average of 5.9 percent. The county’s unemployment rate was based on an estimated average residential labor force of 10,607. Of that labor force, 9,771 were employed and 836 were unemployed. Starke County’s unemployment rate reached a decade low of 4.6 percent in 2000. The rate rose to 7.9 percent by 2008.
Labor force pageIn 2007 persons living in but commuting to work out of Starke County was 5,501 or 36.9 percent of the labor force. Approximately 63.1 percent of Starke County’s working residents work in the county. The area outside Starke County where the largest number of residents went to work was Marshall County. In 2007 person commuting to work into the county from outside areas was 895 or 8.7 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the county to work was Pulaski County.
Commutting pageIn 2008, Starke County businesses had an average of 4, 324 jobs. Three major industry sectors: Government (all levels), Manufacturing, and Educational Services dominated the county in terms of employment. These three industry sectors accounted for 58.2 percent of the county’s 2008 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the county was Government (all levels) with 969 jobs, accounting for 22.4 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was up 1.8 percent between 2004 and 2008. Accommodation & Food Services showed the most job growth between 2004 and 2008, increasing 242 jobs or 79.9 percent. Administrative and Waste Services was second, adding 66 jobs or 183.3 percent. Administrative and Waste Services had the largest percentage gain at 183.3 percent.
Industry employment pageThe average 2008 earnings for Starke County was $25,418 per year versus Indiana’s $38,405. The average industry wage rose by $1,654 or 7.0 percent from 2004 to 2008. The Transportation and Warehousing industry had the highest average earnings at $40,547 per year, with the Wholesale Trade industry second at $35,155, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Accommodation & Food Services at $10,485. Per capita income for 2007 was $35,357 in Starke County, up 22.5 percent since 2002.
Industry earnings pageStarke County has 340 firms, with 7 firms or about 2.1 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 75.0 percent. Also, the number firms employing fewer than 10 workers fell 5.6 per cent or 15 fewer firms between 1999 and 2008 to total 255 firms in 2008.
Firms page