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 2006 was 848,305 up 3.0 percent from the 2000 Census total of 823,388. The estimated population made up 13.4 percent of Indiana's total for 2006. During this same time period, Indiana’s total 2006 population estimate of 6,313,520 was up by 3.8 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. For the 2004-2005 school year, 7,788 persons graduated high school that year and 6,334 or 81.3 percent intended to go on to higher education.
Education pageRegion 1’s estimated average unemployment rate for 2006 was 5.4 percent, above Indiana's average 5.0 percent. The region's unemployment rate was based on an estimated average residential labor force of 407,378. Of that labor force, 385,280 were employed and 22,098 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 2005 the number of persons living in but commuting to work out of Region 1 was 72,957 or 14.1 percent of the labor force. About 85.9 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 2005 the number of persons commuting to work into the region from outside areas was 21,690 or 4.6 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the region to work was the State of Illinois.
In 2006, Region 1 businesses had an average of 319,168 jobs. Three major industry sectors: Manufacturing, Government (all levels), and Retail Trade dominated the county in terms of employment. These three industry sectors accounted for 43.7 percent of the region’s 2006 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the region was Manufacturing with 49,949 jobs, accounting for 15.7 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was up 2.4 percent between 2002 and 2006. Health Care & Social Assistance showed the most job growth between 2002 and 2006, increasing 5,963 jobs or 15.5 percent. Construction was second, adding 2,394 jobs or 12.9 percent. Management of Companies & Enterprises had the largest percentage gain at 18.1 percent.. Industry employment page
The average 2006 earnings for Region 1 was $35,572 per year versus Indiana’s $36,411. The average industry wage rose by $3,793 or 11.9 percent from 2002 to 2006. The Management of Companies and Enterprises industry had the highest average earnings at $71,213 per year, with the Utilities industry second at $67,130, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Accommodation & Food Services at $11,225. Per capita income for 2005 was $29,715 in Region 1, up nearly 41.8 percent since 1995.
Industry earnings pageRegion 1 has 17,739 firms, with 511 firms or about 2.9 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 83.4 percent. Also, the number firms employing fewer than 10 workers increased 17.2 per cent or 2,168 firms between 1999 and 2006 to total 14,790 firms in 2006.
Firms page