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 2010 was 13,402, down 2.6 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, 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 2010 was 9.3 percent, below Indiana’s annual average of 10.2 percent. The county’s unemployment rate was based on an estimated average residential labor force of 6,754. Of that labor force, 6,127 were employed and 627 were unemployed. Pulaski County’s unemployment rate reached a decade low of 4.2 percent in 2000. The rate rose to 10.3 percent by 2009.
Labor force pageIn 2009 persons living in but commuting to work out of Pulaski County was 1,756 or 20.5 percent of the labor force. Approximately 79.5 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 2009 person commuting to work into the county from outside areas was 1,084 or 13.7 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the county to work was Starke County.
Commutting pageIn 2010, Pulaski County businesses had an average of 4,308 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 62.8 percent of the county’s 2010 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the county was Manufacturing with 1,161 jobs, accounting for 26.9 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was down 8.1 percent between 2005 and 2010. Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting showed the most job growth between 2005 and 2010, increasing 72 jobs or 32.9 percent. Transportation and Warehousing was second, adding 43 jobs or 63.2 percent. Administration & Waste Management had the largest percentage gain at 169.2 percent.
Industry employment pageThe average 2010 earnings for Pulaski County was $33,689 per year versus Indiana’s $39,255. The average industry wage rose by $2,201 or 7.0 percent from 2005 to 2010. The Manufacturing industry had the highest average earnings at $44,860 per year, with the Finance and Insurance industry second at $38,165, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation at $7,324. Per capita income for 2009 was $30,466 in Pulaski County, up 13.3 percent since 2004.
Industry earnings pagePulaski County has 359 firms, with 7 firms or about 1.9 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 76.6 percent. The number firms employing fewer than 10 workers rose 0.4 per cent or 1 firm between 2001 and 2011 to total 275 firms in 2011. Total firms had a net gain of 3 or 0.8 percent from 1st quarter 2001.
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