ST. JOSEPH COUNTY LABOR MARKET PROFILESt. Joseph County is located in Mid-Northern Indiana. The county is bordered on the south by Marshall County. The County is adjacent to Elkhart County on the east, the State of Michigan is to the north, and LaPorte County to the west. St. Joseph County is one of the five counties located in the area designated by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development as Indiana Economic Growth Region 2.
St. Joseph County’s population estimate for 2010 was 266,931, up 0.5 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, 136,825 people twenty-five years of age and over were high school high school graduates and/or had post-high school education. This amount represented 82.4 percent of St. Joseph County’s twenty-five and over population. For the twenty-five years of age and over population, 39,238 or 23.6 percent were four-year college graduates or higher, ranking St. Joseph County 6th highest among Indiana counties for percentage of this population who were college graduates or higher. In 2007, 2,195 persons graduated high school and 1,767 or 80.5 percent intended to go on to higher education.
Education pageSt. Joseph County’s estimated average unemployment rate for 2010 was 11.5 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 127,457. Of that labor force, 112,837 were employed and 14,620 were unemployed. St. Joseph County’s unemployment rate reached a decade low of 2.8 percent in 1998. The rate rose to 11.5 percent by 2010.
Labor force pageIn 2009 persons living in but commuting to work out of St. Joseph County was 14,642 or 9.1 percent of the labor force. Approximately 90.9 percent of St. Joseph County’s working residents work in the county. The area outside St. Joseph County where the largest number of residents went to work was Elkhart County. In 2009 person commuting to work into the county from outside areas was 18,907 or 11.4 percent of the work force. The area sending the most number of persons into the county to work was State of Michigan.
Commutting pageIn 2010, St. Joseph County businesses had an average of 113,853 jobs. Three major industry sectors: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, and Government (all levels) dominated the county in terms of employment. These three industry sectors accounted for 43.1 percent of the county’s 2010 industry employment. The largest employing industry in the county was Health Care & Social Assistance with 17,676 jobs, accounting for 15.5 percent of total employment. Total covered employment was down 8.8 percent between 2005 and 2010. Real Estate and Rental and Leasing showed the most job growth between 2005 and 2010, increasing 1,794 jobs or 84.5 percent. Health Care & Social Assistance was second, adding 1,134 jobs or 6.9 percent. Real Estate and Rental and Leasing had the largest percentage gain at 84.5 percent.
Industry employment pageThe average 2010 earnings for St. Joseph County was $38,108 per year versus Indiana’s $39,255. The average industry wage rose by $3,720 or 10.8 percent from 2005 to 2010. The Management of Companies and Enterprises industry had the highest average earnings at $81,874 per year, with the Mining industry second at $79,640, while the industry with the lowest annual earnings number was Accommodation & Food Services at $13,419. Per capita income for 2009 was $34,712 in St. Joseph County, up 11.1 percent since 2004.
Industry earnings pageSt. Joseph County has 5,948 firms, with 170 firms or about 2.9 percent employing 100 or more workers, while firms employing fewer than 10 workers account for 69.6 percent. The number firms employing fewer than 10 workers rose 0.8 percent or 34 firms between 2001 and 2011 to total 4,137 firms in 2011. Total firms had a net loss of 94 or -1.6 percent from 1st quarter 2001.
Firms page