Laborshed analysis conducted on Washington, surrounding counties

WASHINGTON - Washington County was included in a laborshed analysis released in April by Iowa City-Cedar Rapids (ICR) Iowa, which covers the business corridor in Eastern Iowa.

The study is called a 'laborshed” because of its resemblance to a watershed, which refers to an area that feeds all the water running under it into a body of water. A laborshed study shows the locations of labor sources that funnel into an employment center.

For this study, more than 4,700 employers were contacted, and of those nearly 1,400 responded for a response rate of about 30 percent. These responding employers represented about 92,000 employees. The area of the analysis covered Washington, Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones and Linn counties.

Washington Economic Development Group executive director David Collins said his main take-away from the study was that the area is experiencing a labor shortage. He said these and other laborshed analyses are useful for human resource departments keen on attracting the best talent and learning how to keep them happy.

'It's a good health check on your workforce,” Collins said. 'It helps you spot both positive and negative trends so you know how to address them.”

The survey showed that 14 percent of the workforce in those seven counties work in the manufacturing sector. That sector is 72 percent male and 28 percent female, with an average age of 46.

Seventy percent of the employees accounted for in the survey have an education beyond high school, and 14.4 percent are either being trained or desire it.

The educational breakdown goes as follows: 30 percent have a high school diploma or less, 17 percent have an associate degree, 19 percent have a bachelor's degree, 7 percent have a postgraduate degree, 6 percent are trade certified, 2 percent have vocational training, and the other roughly 20 percent are in the process of obtaining a degree.

Just over half of employees (52 percent) work in production, compared to 20 percent who are professionals, 14 percent who are managers, and 9 percent who do clerical work. Nearly two-thirds of those who work in production are likely to change their occupation, much higher than the professional (13.5 percent), managerial (9.6 percent) or clerical (7.7) categories. The study showed that 75 percent of those employed and likely to change were hourly wage earners.

Among the top reasons given for not changing employment, the most commonly cited was job satisfaction with 53 percent of respondents. Twenty 2 percent said it was because they had a 'good relationship with employer.” Nearly an equal number of people listed benefits and wages (19 percent). Seventeen percent said their top reason for staying was because of their age or because they were near retirement, and 13 percent said they were staying because of job security.

Among full-time employees, the vast majority (98 percent) have health/medical benefits. Dental benefits are nearly as common at 95 percent. Ninety-four percent have a pension or retirement account, and 91 percent have life insurance. About 89 percent have disability insurance.

The average length of a one-way commute to work was 19 minutes, but among those employed and likely to change jobs, they said they would be willing to travel an average of 39 minutes.

Among those who were unemployed but likely to accept unemployment, the most common reasons for being unemployed were health and disability, and having just been terminated by an employer. That same group was asked about the lowest wage it was willing to accept, and the median answer was $12 an hour.