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 2006 was 13,861, up 0.8 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, 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. For the 2004-2005 school year, 155 persons graduated high school and 122 or 78.7 percent intended to go on to higher education.
Education pagePulaski County’s estimated average unemployment rate for 2006 was 4.5 percent, below Indiana’s annual average of 5.0 percent. The county’s unemployment rate was based on an estimated average residential labor force of 6,955. Of that labor force, 6,639 were employed and 316 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 2005 persons living in but commuting to work out of Pulaski County was 2,009 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 2005 person commuting to work into the county from outside areas was 1,069 or 13.5 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the county to work was Starke County.
Commutting pageIn 2006, Pulaski County businesses had an average of 4,606 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 62.9 percent of the county’s 2006 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the county was Manufacturing with 1,379 jobs, accounting for 29.9 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was up 1.9 percent between 2002 and 2006. Manufacturing showed the most job growth between 2002 and 2006, increasing 158 jobs or 12.9 percent. Government (all levels) was second, adding 97 jobs or 9.7 percent. Wholesale Trade had the largest percentage gain at 24.9 percent.
Industry employment pageThe average 2006 earnings for Pulaski County was $32,312 per year versus Indiana’s $36,411. The average industry wage rose by $3,994 or 14.1 percent from 2002 to 2006. The Manufacturing industry had the highest average earnings at $46,199 per year, with the Finance & Insurance industry second at $34,998, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation at $6,398. Per capita income for 2005 was $27,137 in Pulaski County, up 52.1 percent since 1995.
Industry earnings pagePulaski County has 363 firms, with 9 firms or about 2.5 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 78.0 percent. Also, the number firms employing fewer than 10 workers rose by 0.7 per cent or 2 firms between 1999 and 2006 to total 283 firms in 2006.
Firms page