LAPORTE COUNTY LABOR MARKET PROFILE
LaPorte County is located in Northwest Indiana. The county is bordered on the south by Starke County. The County is adjacent to St. Joseph County on the east, Lake Michigan and the State of Michigan are to the north, and Porter County to the west. LaPorte 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.LaPorte County’s population estimate for 2006 was 110,479, up 0.3 percent from the 2000 Census total. 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, 59,409 people twenty-five years of age and over were high school high school graduates and/or had post-high school education. This amount represented 80.6 percent of LaPorte County’s twenty-five and over population. For the twenty-five years of age and over population, 10,312 or 14 percent were four-year college graduates or higher, ranking LaPorte County 36th highest among Indiana counties for percentage of this population who were college graduates or higher. For the 2004-2005 school year, 898 persons graduated high school and 493 or 54.9 percent intended to go on to higher education.
Education pageLaPorte County’s estimated average unemployment rate for 2006 was 5.7 percent, above Indiana’s annual average of 5.0 percent. The county’s unemployment rate was based on an estimated average residential labor force of 53,734. Of that labor force, 50,674 were employed and 3,060 were unemployed. LaPorte County’s unemployment rate reached a decade low of 3.3 percent in 2000. The rate rose to 6.8 percent by 2002.
Labor force page
In 2005 persons living in but commuting to work out of LaPorte County was 11,015 or 16.1 percent of the labor force. Approximately 83.9 percent of LaPorte County’s working residents work in the county. The area outside LaPorte County where the largest number of residents went to work was Porter County. In 2005 person commuting to work into the county from outside areas was 7,753 or 11.9 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the county to work was Porter County.
Commutting pageIn 2006, LaPorte County businesses had an average of 44,771 jobs. Three major industry sectors: Manufacturing, Government (all levels), and Health Care & Social Assistance dominated the county in terms of employment. These three industry sectors accounted for 50.0 percent of the county’s 2006 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the county was Manufacturing with 9,478 jobs, accounting for 21.2 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was down 3.4 percent between 2002 and 2006. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation showed the most job growth between 2002 and 2006, increasing 116 jobs or 7.9 percent. Wholesale Trade was second, adding 89 jobs or 7.8 percent. Management of Companies and Enterprises had the largest percentage gain at 36.9 percent.
Industry employment pageThe average 2006 earnings for LaPorte County was $31,389 per year versus Indiana’s $36,411. The average industry wage rose by $3,028 or 10.7 percent from 2002 to 2006. The Management of Companies and Enterprises industry had the highest average earnings at $51,591 per year, with the Construction industry second at $43,480, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Accommodation & Food Services at $10,459. Per capita income for 2005 was $27,222 in LaPorte County, up 38.3 percent since 1995.
Industry earnings pageLaPorte County has 2,513 firms, with 76 firms or about 3.0 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 70.3 percent. Also, the number firms employing fewer than 10 workers fell 6.2 per cent or 116 firms between 1999 and 2006 to total 1,767 firms in 2006.
Firms page