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 2010 was 111,467, up 1.2 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, 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. In 2007, 1,045 persons graduated high school and 570 or 54.5 percent intended to go on to higher education.
Education pageLaPorte County’s estimated average unemployment rate for 2010 was 12.0 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 51,018. Of that labor force, 44,912 were employed and 6,106 were unemployed. LaPorte County’s unemployment rate reached a decade low of 3.3 percent in 2000. The rate rose to 12.0 percent by 2010.
Labor force pageIn 2009 persons living in but commuting to work out of LaPorte County was 9,975 or 14.6 percent of the labor force. Approximately 85.4 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 2009 person commuting to work into the county from outside areas was 6,866 or 10.5 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the county to work was Porter County.
Commutting pageIn 2010, LaPorte County businesses had an average of 40,681 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 48.5 percent of the county’s 2010 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the county was Manufacturing with 7,278 jobs, accounting for 17.9 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was down 9.8 percent between 2005 and 2010. Educational Services showed the most job growth between 2005 and 2010, increasing 160 jobs or 4.9 percent. Transportation and Warehousing was second, adding 132 jobs or 10.1 percent. The Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting industry had the largest percentage gain at 12.6 percent.
Industry employment pageThe average 2010 earnings for LaPorte County was $34,250 per year versus Indiana’s $39,255. The average industry wage rose by $3,526 or 11.5 percent from 2005 to 2010. Utilities industry had the highest average earnings at $86,303 per year, with the Construction industry second at $55,459, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Accommodation & Food Services at $11,966. Per capita income for 2009 was $30,199 in LaPorte County, up 12.1 percent since 2004.
Industry earnings pageLaPorte County has 2,490 firms, with 66 firms or about 2.7 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 72.2 percent. The number firms employing fewer than 10 workers rose 2.5 per cent or 43 firms between 2001 and 2011 to total 1,797 firms in 2011. Total firms had a net loss of 6 or -0.2 percent from 1st quarter 2001.
Firms page