LABOR MARKET PROFILE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH REGION 2
(Inclusive of: St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall, Fulton, and Kosciusko Counties)The area designated by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development as Indiana Economic Growth Region 2 is located at the Mid-Northern border of Indiana. It is made up of the five Indiana counties of St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall, Fulton, and Kosciusko. The Region is bordered on the south by Cass, Miami, and Wabash Counties. It is adjacent to Lagrange, Noble, and Whitley Counties on the east. The State of Michigan is to the north, and LaPorte, Starke, and Pulaski Counties to the west. .
Indiana's Region 2 population estimate for 2006 was 609,241 up 3.6 percent from the 2000 Census total of 588,046. During this same time period, Indiana’s total 2006 population estimate of 6,313,520 was up by 3.8 percent. The Region 2 estimated population made up 9.6 percent of Indiana's total for 2006.
Population pageAccording to the 2000 Census, 294,485 people twenty-five years of age or over were high school graduates and/or had post-high school education. This amount represented 80.0 percent of the twenty-five and up regional population. For the twenty-five years of age and over population, 69,405 or 18.8 percent were four year college graduates or greater. For the 2004-2005 school year, 5,671 persons graduated high school that year and 4,364 or 77.0 percent intended to go on to higher education.
Education pageRegion 2’s estimated average unemployment rate for 2006 was 4.9 percent, just below Indiana's average 5.0 percent. The region's unemployment rate was based on an estimated average residential labor force of 318,544. Of that labor force, 302,807 were employed and 15,737 were unemployed. Region 2’s unemployment rate reached a decade low of 2.8 percent in 2000. The rate rose to 5.0 percent by 2002 and stayed at that level for 2003.
Labor force pageIn 2005 the number of persons living in but commuting to work out of Region 2 was 11,285 or 3.0 percent of the labor force. About 96.9 percent of Region 2’s working residents worked in the region. The area outside Region 2 where the largest number of residents went to work was the State of Michigan. In 2005 the number of persons commuting to work into the region from outside areas was 35,237 or 8.7 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the region to work was the State of Michigan.
In 2006, Region 2 businesses had an average of 311,773 jobs. Three major industry sectors: Manufacturing, Health Care and Social Assistance, and Government (all levels) dominated the county in terms of employment. These three industry sectors accounted for 53.4 percent of the region’s 2006 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the region was Manufacturing with 106,520 jobs, accounting for 34.2 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was up 6.0 percent between 2002 and 2006. Manufacturing showed the most job growth between 2002 and 2006, increasing 7,411 jobs or 7.5 percent. Administrative and Waste Services was second, adding 2,454 jobs, an increase of 23.8 percent. Administrative and Waste Services also had the largest percentage gain at 23.8 percent.
Industry employment pageThe average 2006 earnings for Region 2 was $35,365 per year versus Indiana’s $36,411. The average industry wage rose by $3,540 or 11.1 percent from 2002 to 2006. The Management of Companies and Enterprises industry had the highest average earnings at $78,802 per year, with the Utilities industry second at $60,410, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Accommodation & Food Services at $11,367. Per capita income for 2005 was $31,497 in Region 2, up nearly 47.3 percent since 1995.
Industry earnings pageRegion 2 has 14,024 firms, with 533 firms or about 3.8 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 66.2 percent. Also, the number firms employing fewer than 10 workers declined 4.3 per cent or 420 firms between 1999 and 2006 to total 9,286 firms in 2006.
Firms page