LAKE COUNTY LABOR MARKET PROFILELake County is located in Northwest Indiana. The county is bordered on the south by Newton and Jasper Counties. The County is adjacent to Porter County on the east, Lake Michigan is to the north, and The State of Illinois to the west. Lake 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.
Lake County’s population estimate for 2010 was 496,005, up 2.4 percent from the 2000 Census total. During this same time period, Indiana’s total 2010 population estimate of 6,445,295 was up by 5.8 percent.
Population pageAccording to the 2000 Census, 250,349 people twenty-five years of age and over were high school high school graduates and/or had post-high school education. This amount represented 80.7 percent of Lake County’s twenty-five and over population. For the twenty-five years of age and over population, 50,307 or 16.2 percent were four-year college graduates or higher, ranking Lake County 21st highest among Indiana counties for percentage of this population who were college graduates or higher. In 2007, 4,895 persons graduated high school and 4,241 or 86.6 percent intended to go on to higher education.
Education pageLake County’s estimated average unemployment rate for 2010 was 11.0 percent, above Indiana’s annual average of 10.2 percent. The county’s unemployment rate was based on an estimated average residential labor force of 220,500. Of that labor force, 196,174 were employed and 24,326 were unemployed. Lake County’s unemployment rate reached a decade low of 3.6 percent in 2000. The rate rose to 11.0 percent by 2010.
Labor force pageIn 2009 persons living in but commuting to work out of Lake County was 52,366 or 17.7 percent of the labor force. Approximately 82.3 percent of Lake County’s working residents work in the county. The area outside Lake County where the largest number of residents went to work was State of Illinois. In 2009 person commuting to work into the county from outside areas was 38,199 or 13.5 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the county to work was Porter County.
Commutting pageIn 2010, Lake County businesses had an average of 182,472 jobs. Three major industry sectors: Health Care & Social Assistance, Government (all levels), and Retail Trade dominated the county in terms of employment. These three industry sectors accounted for 44.0 percent of the county’s 2010 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the county was Health Care & Social Assistance with 30,020 jobs, accounting for 16.5 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was down 5.3 percent between 2005 and 2010. Health Care & Social Assistance showed the most job growth between 2005 and 2010, increasing 1,982 jobs or 7.1 percent. Accomodation and Food Services was second, adding 1,067 jobs or 7.1 percent. The Information industry had the largest percentage gain at 17.1 percent.
Industry employment pageThe average 2010 earnings for Lake County was $41,196 per year versus Indiana’s $39,255. The average industry wage rose by $5,122 or 14.2 percent from 2005 to 2010. The Management of Companies and Enterprises industry had the highest average earnings at $81,472 per year, with the Utilities industry second at $76,790, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Accommodation & Food Services at $12,849. Per capita income for 2009 was $33,464 in Lake County, up 14.6 percent since 2004.
Industry earnings pageLake County has 10,219 firms, with 252 firms or about 2.5 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 71.0 percent. The number firms employing fewer than 10 workers rose 8.9 percent or 593 firms between 2001 and 2011 to total 7,259 firms in 2011. Total firms had a net increase of 568 or 5.9 percent from 1st quarter 2001.
Firms page