PULASKI COUNTY LABOR MARKET PROFILEPulaski County is located in Northwest Indiana. The county is bordered on the south by White and Cass Counties. The County is adjacent to Fulton County on the east, Starke County is to the north, and Jasper County to the west. Pulaski 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.
Pulaski County’s population estimate for 2008 was 13,712, down 0.003 percent from the 2000 Census total. During this same time period, Indiana’s total 2008 population estimate of 6,376,792 was up by 4.6 percent.
Population pageAccording to the 2000 Census, 7,209 people twenty-five years of age and over were high school high school graduates and/or had post-high school education. This amount represented 79.8 percent of Pulaski County’s twenty-five and over population. For the twenty-five years of age and over population, 927 or 10.3 percent were four-year college graduates or higher, ranking Pulaski County 69th highest among Indiana counties for percentage of this population who were college graduates or higher. In 2007, 157 persons graduated high school and 109 or 69.4 percent intended to go on to higher education.
Education pagePulaski County’s estimated average unemployment rate for 2008 was 4.8 percent, below Indiana’s annual average of 5.9 percent. The county’s unemployment rate was based on an estimated average residential labor force of 6,794. Of that labor force, 6,410 were employed and 384 were unemployed. Pulaski County’s unemployment rate reached a decade low of 4.2 percent in 2000. The rate rose to 5.7 percent by 2002.
Labor force pageIn 2007 persons living in but commuting to work out of Pulaski County was 2,046 or 22.7 percent of the labor force. Approximately 77.3 percent of Pulaski County’s working residents work in the county. The area outside Pulaski County where the largest number of residents went to work was Jasper County. In 2007 person commuting to work into the county from outside areas was 1,180 or 14.5 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the county to work was Starke County.
Commutting pageIn 2008, Pulaski County businesses had an average of 4,526 jobs. Three major industry sectors: Manufacturing, Government (all levels), and Health Care and Social Assistance dominated the county in terms of employment. These three industry sectors accounted for 64.5 percent of the county’s 2008 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the county was Manufacturing with 1,257 jobs, accounting for 27.8 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was down 0.4 percent between 2004 and 2008. Wholesale Trade showed the most job growth between 2004 and 2008, increasing 43 jobs or 13.5 percent. Construction was second, adding 27 jobs or 30.3 percent. Administration & Waste Management had the largest percentage gain at 76.2 percent.
Industry employment pageThe average 2008 earnings for Pulaski County was $33,167 per year versus Indiana’s $38,405. The average industry wage rose by $2,896 or 9.6 percent from 2004 to 2008. The Manufacturing industry had the highest average earnings at $44,220 per year, with the Finance & Insurance industry second at $38,981, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation at $5,667. Per capita income for 2007 was $29,707 in Pulaski County, up 27.9 percent since 2002.
Industry earnings pagePulaski County has 361 firms, with 7 firms or about 1.9 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 79.8 percent. Also, the number firms employing fewer than 10 workers rose by 2.5 percent or 7 firms between 1999 and 2008 to total 288 firms in 2008.
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