THE FORREST COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI 40-MILE RADIUS AREA LABOR AVAILABILITY REPORT

Transcription

1 THE FORREST COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI 40-MILE RADIUS AREA LABOR AVAILABILITY REPORT May, 2010 Compiled and Prepared by THE PATHFINDERS

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION...1 II. KEY FINDINGS...2 III. METHODOLOGY...3 IV. NUMBER OF AVAILABLE WORKERS...5 V. ASSESSMENT OF THE UNDEREMPLOYED WORKFORCE...6 A. Desired Wages...6 B. Characteristics...8 C. Experience and Skills D. Factors Affecting Job Desirability VI. ASSESSMENT OF THE UNEMPLOYED WORKFORCE VII. NATIONAL COMPARISONS OF UNDEREMPLOYED WORKFORCE A. Desired Wages B. Experience C. Skills VIII. EMPLOYERS RATINGS OF THE WORKFORCE THE PATHFINDERS i

3 INTRODUCTION The Pathfinders has employed its many years of experience in workforce assessments for corporate site-selection clients and civilian workforce assessments for the Department of Defense in locations that faced military base closures to produce this evaluation of the Forrest County, Mississippi 40-Mile Radius area workforce. In site-selection projects, the question that most often drives the search is whether the candidate location has the workforce needed for a new or expanding operation; consequently, an analysis of an area s workforce became a key component of site searches conducted by The Pathfinders. Senior human resources executives from among corporate clients assisted in refining the methodology and report format. While unemployed workers are a source considered in hiring, companies typically also staff a new operation with individuals who are working but who desire better jobs and who appear to possess the skills, education, and experience to qualify them for those better jobs. By that definition, those individuals can be considered underemployed and are identified as such in this report. The Pathfinders was retained to quantify the extent to which both unemployment and underemployment exist in the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius area. This report also represents the objective and professional view of The Pathfinders with regard to workforce quality, availability, costs, experience and skills that a new or expanding employer can expect in the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius region. The information presented in this report has been developed independently of the client, and the client has not influenced the findings. THE PATHFINDERS 1

4 KEY FINDINGS The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius area, referred to in this report as the labor shed, has a household population of approximately 315,900; a civilian labor force of approximately 140,000; and a pool of approximately 13,300 unemployed persons who are actively seeking work. The results of this survey indicate that a new or expanding employer will be able to attract employees from an additional pool of about 24,700 underemployed workers. The desired pay rates of the underemployed workers are reasonable when compared to their existing pay rates. The median current pay rate of the underemployed workers is $14.23 per hour, and their median desired pay rate is $16.09 per hour. The median desired pay rate of the unemployed workers who are actively seeking work is $10.77 per hour. Survey results indicate 2% of the underemployed and 2% of unemployed, actively seeking work individuals have less than a high school degree. Survey results indicate that the underemployed workers in the labor shed have high levels of experience and skills in manufacturing, office operations and warehousing/distribution/transportation. In total, the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius area has approximately 38,000 available workers for new or expanding businesses. THE PATHFINDERS 2

5 METHODOLOGY The first step in assessing the workforce of the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius area was to determine the boundaries of the area to be assessed. To accomplish this task, The Pathfinders applied the same reasoning that would be used during a site search for a corporate client considering the area as a potential location. The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius survey area includes those locations from which workers might be drawn to a new employer and is referred to in this report as the labor shed. This labor shed consists of a 40-Mile radius of the intersection of I-59 / Hardy Street / Highway 98 in Forrest County, Mississippi. MAP OF LABOR SHED THE PATHFINDERS 3

6 Selected online resources were used in this project. Additionally, The Pathfinders conducted interviews with individuals throughout the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius region. Those individuals were proportionally stratified across age, household income, and zip codes. The purpose of these surveys was to ascertain availability for work with a new employer; determine desired pay rates; and, collect information on such factors as age, education, commuting patterns, experience, and skills. The data obtained as a result of those interviews enabled The Pathfinders to apply and employ a proprietary methodology that accurately determined the existence of underemployment and the quality and characteristics of both the underemployed and unemployed workers in the area. Further, The Pathfinders applied a proprietary process to the analysis of the data to correct for invalid responses. For example, those persons indicating they would take a new job but also indicating the desire for increased or decreased pay that is unreasonable are not included in the results. It is important to note that companies making location decisions based upon these surveys have reported that when staffing actually began, the numbers reported by The Pathfinders proved to be accurate. THE PATHFINDERS 4

7 NUMBER OF AVAILABLE WORKERS The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius Area Labor Shed The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius area labor shed has a household population of approximately 315,900. The civilian labor force numbers approximately 140,000, and the labor shed contains approximately 13,300 unemployed people who are actively seeking work. The results of this assessment determined that approximately 24,700 workers can be defined as underemployed: those individuals who are currently working but would take a better job if offered by a new or existing employer and who appear to possess the skills, education, and experience to qualify them to do so. Together with the unemployed, actively seeking work individuals, the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius area has approximately 38,000 available workers for new or existing employers. TOTAL AVAILABLE WORKERS Number of underemployed workers 24,700 Number of unemployed, actively seeking work individuals 13,300 Total Number of Workers Available for Employers* 38,000 * The reader is cautioned that, while the number of workers identified in the region, as well as their skills, experience, education, and costs, is accurate, all of those individuals may not be acceptable candidates for an employer. Their previous work records, stability, integrity, intelligence, appearance, and other factors are not considered in this report. THE PATHFINDERS 5

8 ASSESSMENT OF THE UNDEREMPLOYED WORKFORCE The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius Area Labor Shed The 24,700 underemployed workers identified in this report might also be termed upgraders. They desire to move into an upgraded job and appear to possess the skills, education, and experience to enable them to do so. The following charts represent the desired pay rates of the underemployed individuals in the labor shed. Desired wages are shown by specific rates, range and percentiles. NUMBER OF UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS AVAILABLE AT SPECIFIC WAGE RATES PER HOUR (rounded) Desired Pay Rate Number Available $8.99 or Less 600 $ $ ,800 $ $ ,500 $ $ ,100 $ $ ,900 $ $ ,800 $ $ ,700 $ $ ,200 $ $ ,500 $ $ ,200 $27.00 or More 2,400 THE PATHFINDERS 6

9 DESIRED WAGE RATES PER HOUR BY RANGE 24,700 Underemployed Workers $25.00 or More $ $24.00 $ $19.99 $ $14.99 $9.99 or Less 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 Number of Workers DESIRED WAGE RATES PER HOUR BY PERCENTILE 24,700 Underemployed Workers $23.53 $13.23 $16.09 $ th 25th 50th Upper 25th Percentile THE PATHFINDERS 7

10 CHARACTERISTICS OF UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius Area Labor Shed 24,700 Underemployed Workers The following charts provide information on various characteristics of the underemployed workers in the labor shed. As these data relate solely to those individuals in the labor shed who are underemployed, they will vary from data representative of the population and civilian labor force as a whole. AGE - Average 47 Years GENDER 55 or Older 17% Years 10% Male 43% Years 19% Years 54% Female 57% EDUCATION Graduate Degree 7% Vocational Degree 7% Less than High School 2% Bachelor Degree 12% High School Graduate/ GED Only 38% Associate Degree 15% Some College, No Degree 19% THE PATHFINDERS 8

11 CHARACTERISTICS OF UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS 24,700 Underemployed Workers CURRENT COMMUTE DISTANCE CURRENT COMMUTE TIME Miles 10% Over 40 Miles 6% 0-10 Miles 38% Minutes 13% Over 45 Minutes 9% Miles 10% Minutes 13% Less than 20 Minutes 65% Miles 36% The average commute time of the underemployed workers in the labor shed is 23 minutes, and the average current commute distance is 19 miles. 40% LENGTH OF TIME IN CURRENT JOB 30% 20% 10% 0% Less than 1 Year 1-5 Years 6-10 Years Years Over 15 Years Percent of Underemployed Workers THE PATHFINDERS 9

12 CHARACTERISTICS OF UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS 24,700 Underemployed Workers CURRENT AREA OF EMPLOYMENT Other 16% Mfg./ Assembly 17% Office/ Admin 7% Food Service/ Hospitality 7% Constr./ Trades/ Utilities 17% Sales/ Services 15% Govt./ Education 11% Medical 10% UNION PREFERENCE MILES WILLING TO COMMUTE Average 32 Miles Union Job 14% Over 40 Miles 14% 0-10 Miles 5% Miles 14% Miles 29% No Preference 65% Non-Union Job 21% Miles 38% THE PATHFINDERS 10

13 EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS 24,700 Underemployed Workers Experience Category Number of Workers (Rounded) Percentage of Total Average Years of Experience Office Operations 15,300 62% 11 Warehouse/Distribution/Transportation 14,100 57% 11 Manufacturing/Assembly/Fabrication 13,600 55% 10 Customer Service 13,300 54% 11 Maintenance/Installation/Repair 9,400 38% 13 Government/Education 8,900 36% 15 Information Technology 6,400 26% 12 Call Center/Data Center/Back-Office 5,200 21% 10 Forestry/Lumber 4,700 19% 9 Food Processing (not restaurant or food service) 4,200 17% 7 Medical/Health Sciences 4,000 16% 8 Polymers/Plastics/Chemicals Manufacturing 1,200 5% 4 The similarities between the experience and skills categories are designed to ensure inclusiveness considering the multitude of tasks and job titles present in most business, government and institutional operations. It should be noted that individuals polled normally have experience and/or skills in multiple categories. THE PATHFINDERS 11

14 EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS 24,700 Underemployed Workers Skills Category Number of Workers (Rounded) Percentage of Total Warehouse/Materials Handling 15,300 62% Manufacturing/Assembly/Fabrication 15,300 62% Office Operations 13,600 55% Technician/Quality Assurance 10,100 41% Government/Education 9,900 40% Maintenance/Installation/Repair 8,900 36% Information Technology 7,700 31% Medical/Health Sciences 5,900 24% Food Processing (not restaurant or food service) 5,900 24% Forestry/Lumber 5,700 23% Electronics/Engineering 4,200 17% Polymers/Plastics/Chemicals Manufacturing 500 2% THE PATHFINDERS 12

15 FACTORS AFFECTING JOB DESIRABILITY / CURRENT BENEFITS 24,700 Underemployed Workers In an effort to identify those factors most important to the Forrest County 40- Mile Radius area s underemployed workers relative to consideration of an employer s desirability and a potential job change, the respondents were asked to rate the following job factors from extremely important to not important. INSURANCE BENEFITS FLEXIBLE WORKING SCHEDULE 5% Somewhat 2% Not 2% Somewhat 2% Not 5% Extremely Very 17% 19% 36% Extremely 74% Very 38% SALARY RETIREMENT BENEFITS 10% Somewhat 2% Not 2% 5% Somewhat 3% Not 2% Very 19% Ver y 14% Extremely 67% Extremely 76% THE PATHFINDERS 13

16 FACTORS AFFECTING JOB DESIRABILITY / CURRENT BENEFITS 24,700 Underemployed Workers PAID TRAINING PROGRAMS LOCATION Somewhat 5% Not 7% 17% Somewhat 5% Not 2% 19% Extremely 43% Extremely 50% Very 26% Very 26% OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCEMENT PHYSICAL WORKING ENVIRONMENT Somewhat 6% 8% Not 7% Extremely 48% Somewhat 12% Not 6% Extremely 36% 29% Very 31% Very 17% THE PATHFINDERS 14

17 CHARACTERISTICS OF UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING WORK 13,300 Workers According to survey results, the following charts provide information on those unemployed workers in the labor shed who are actively seeking work. As these data relate solely to those individuals in the labor shed who are unemployed, they will vary from data representative of the population and civilian labor force as a whole. In the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius labor shed, according to published sources, there are approximately 13,300 individuals who are actively seeking work. These individuals are fairly equal in gender, and their average age is 41 years. AGE GENDER 55 or Older 6% Years 6% Male 47% Years 35% Years 24% Female 53% Years 29% The median desired pay rate of the unemployed workers in the labor shed who are actively seeking work is $10.77 per hour. The determinations for this segment of the workforce have a larger statistical variance than that for the underemployed. THE PATHFINDERS 15

18 CHARACTERISTICS OF UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING WORK 13,300 Workers EDUCATION Vocational Degree 10% Less than High School 2% Bachelor Degree 12% Associate Degree 3% High School Graduate/ GED Only 46% Some College, No Degree 27% MILES WILLING TO COMMUTE Average 30 Miles Over 40 Miles 17% 0-10 Miles 6% Miles 12% Miles 24% Miles 41% THE PATHFINDERS 16

19 CHARACTERISTICS OF UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING WORK 13,300 Workers Experience Category Number of Individuals (Rounded) Percentage of Total Average Years of Experience Customer Service 9,300 70% 9 Office Operations 7,800 59% 9 Warehouse/Distribution/Transportation 6,300 47% 8 Manufacturing/Assembly/Fabrication 6,300 47% 8 Maintenance/Installation/Repair 5,500 41% 11 Information Technology 5,300 40% 10 Food Processing (not restaurant or food service) 3,200 24% 6 Government/Education 3,100 23% 7 Forestry/Lumber 2,400 18% 8 Polymers/Plastics/Chemicals Manufacturing 2,300 17% 9 Medical/Health Sciences 2,100 16% 11 Call Center/Data Center/Back-Office 800 6% 8 The similarities between the experience and skills categories are designed to ensure inclusiveness considering the multitude of tasks and job titles present in most business, government and institutional operations. It should be noted that individuals polled normally have experience and/or skills in multiple categories. THE PATHFINDERS 17

20 CHARACTERISTICS OF UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING WORK 13,300 Workers Skills Category Number of Individuals (Rounded) Percentage of Total Office Operations 8,600 65% Warehouse/Materials Handling 5,500 41% Maintenance/Installation/Repair 5,500 41% Manufacturing/Assembly/Fabrication 5,300 40% Information Technology 4,700 35% Government/Education 3,900 29% Technician/Quality Assurance 3,900 29% Medical/Health Sciences 3,900 29% Electronics/Engineering 3,200 24% Forestry/Lumber 1,600 12% Food Processing (not restaurant or food service) 800 6% Polymers/Plastics/Chemicals Manufacturing 800 6% THE PATHFINDERS 18

21 NATIONAL COMPARISONS OF UNDEREMPLOYED WORKFORCE This section of the report provides comparisons of the pay rates, experience and skills of the labor shed s underemployed workforce with the underemployed workforces in other areas previously surveyed by The Pathfinders. A prospect company considering the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius region as a location will judge its workforce on a comparative basis. The comparative data for other locations used in the following charts reflect information accumulated over the past eighteen months. The Pathfinders maintains a continuing database of over 700 surveyed counties and communities and more than 30 million workers. In the charts, the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius region is referred to as labor shed. The chart below illustrates the median current and desired wages of the underemployed workers in the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius labor shed as compared to those underemployed workers in all locations surveyed by The Pathfinders over the past eighteen months. As indicated, the median current pay of all surveyed, underemployed workers over the past eighteen months is $15.65 per hour, and the median desired pay of these workers is $17.10 per hour. As shown, survey results indicate that the Forrest County 40-Mile Radius region s underemployed workers have slightly lower pay rates in both median current pay and desired pay than other locations surveyed. COMPARISON OF MEDIAN CURRENT / DESIRED WAGES (per hour) $25 $20 $15 $14.23 $15.65 $16.09 $17.10 $10 $5 $0 Median Current Pay Median Desired Pay Labor Shed All Locations Surveyed THE PATHFINDERS 19

22 COMPARISON OF EXPERIENCE UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius Area / Locations Surveyed Over the Past 18 Months OFFICE WAREHOUSE / DISTRIBUTION / TRANSPORTATION Percent of Workers Percent of Workers Lo west Medi an Hig hest 0 Lo west Median Hi ghest Labor Shed Other Locations Labor Shed Other Locations MANUFACTURING / ASSEMBLY / FABRICATION MEDICAL / HEALTH SCIENCES Percent of Workers Percent of Workers Lowest Median Highest 0 Lo west Median Hi ghest Labor Shed Other Locations Labor Shed Other Locations THE PATHFINDERS 20

23 COMPARISON OF EXPERIENCE UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius Area / Locations Surveyed Over the Past 18 Months MAINTENANCE / INSTALLATION / REPAIR CALL CENTER Percent of Workers Percent of W ork ers Lowest Median Highest 0 Lowest Median Highest Labor Shed Other Locations Labor Shed Other Locations INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CUSTOMER SERVICE Percent of Workers Percent of Workers Lo west Median Hi ghest 0 Lo west Medi an Highest Labor Shed Other Locations Labor Shed Other Locations THE PATHFINDERS 21

24 SUMMARY COMPARISON OF EXPERIENCE UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius Area / Locations Surveyed Over the Past 18 Months Percent of Workers Office Distribution Mfg. Health Care Maintenance Call Center IT Customer Service Labor Shed Lo west Median Highest THE PATHFINDERS 22

25 COMPARISON OF SKILLS UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius Area / Locations Surveyed Over the Past 18 Months OFFICE WAREHOUSE / MATERIALS HANDLING Percent of Workers Lowest Median Highest Percent of W ork ers Lowest Median Highest Labor Shed Other Locations Labor Shed Other Locations MANUFACTURING / ASSEMBLY / FABRICATION MEDICAL / HEALTH SCIENCES Percent of Workers Lowest Median Highest rcent of Workers Pe Lowest Median Highest Labor Shed Other Locations Labor Shed Other Locations THE PATHFINDERS 23

26 COMPARISON OF SKILLS UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius Area / Locations Surveyed Over the Past 18 Months MAINTENANCE / INSTALLATION / REPAIR TECHNICIAN / QUALITY ASSURANCE Percent of Workers Lowest Median Highest Percent of Workers Lowest Median Highest Labor Shed Other Locations Labor Shed Other Locations INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ELECTRONICS / ENGINEERING ent of Workers Perc Lowest Median Highest Percent of Workers Lowest Median Highest Labor Shed Other Locations Labor Shed Other Locations THE PATHFINDERS 24

27 SUMMARY COMPARISON OF SKILLS UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS The Forrest County 40-Mile Radius Area / Locations Surveyed Over the Past 18 Months Percent of Workers Office Warehouse Mfg. Health Care Maintenance QA IT Electronics/ Engineering Labor Shed Lowest Median Highest THE PATHFINDERS 25

28 EMPLOYERS VIEWS OF THE THE FORREST COUNTY AREA TOTAL WORKFORCE In developing a profile of existing workers in the Forrest County region, The Pathfinders considered such factors as labor availability, productivity, unionization, attitudes, costs, and education. The analysis was based upon interviews conducted with senior management and human resources professionals from companies located in the labor shed. As determined from the employer interviews, the tables below reflect the top five methods used to recruit hourly and salaried workers in the Forrest County region and the percent of employers utilizing each method. Employers may use multiple recruitment methods. Recruiting Methods Hourly Workers % of Employers Walk-Ins 46% Newspaper Ads 41% State Agency 37% Word of Mouth 34% Internet 27% Recruiting Methods Salaried Workers % of Employers Internet 41% Newspaper Ads 39% Colleges 24% Word of Mouth 22% Recruiters 20% THE PATHFINDERS 26

29 51% of the employers interviewed stated their companies had operations in other regions of the United States. Of these employers, those familiar with the workforces in those other locations reported their Forrest County area operations were comparable to or better than the other regions in terms of profitability and production. WORKFORCE COMPARISON WITH OTHER LOCATIONS Not as Good 4% Better 38% About the Same 58% Based upon the experience of The Pathfinders in evaluating labor forces in numerous locations, a definite correlation between productivity, absenteeism, tardiness, turnover, and substance abuse appears to exist. That correlation goes beyond the fact that an absent worker is obviously unproductive. Rather, those factors are indicative of an employee s attitude toward the job. The employers surveyed in this study were asked to rate turnover, tardiness and absenteeism among their workers as Low, Moderate or High. Further, they were surveyed as to their substance abuse testing practices and asked to rate substance abuse among the area workforce. The charts on the following pages illustrate the percent of employers ratings for these factors. THE PATHFINDERS 27

30 EMPLOYERS RATINGS TURNOVER / TARDINESS / ABSENTEEISM 80% Percent of Employers 60% 40% 20% 0% Low Moderate High Turnover Tardiness Absenteeism In the Forrest County labor shed, 83% of the employers interviewed stated their companies tested for substance abuse, using one or more of the following practices: SUBSTANCE ABUSE TESTING PRACTICES 100% Per cent of Employers 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Pre-Employment Random Cause/Suspicion Post-Accident THE PATHFINDERS 28

31 As a follow-up to the substance abuse testing practices question, employers were asked to report the approximate percentage of individuals who fail the preemployment drug test given by the company. PERCENT OF APPLICANTS WHO FAIL PRE-EMPLOYMENT DRUG TEST 60% Pe r cen t of Employers 45% 30% 15% 0% None Less than 5% 5% to 9% 10% to 24% 25% to 49% 50% or More SUBSTANCE ABUSE RATING AREA WORKFORCE 75% Percent of Employers 60% 45% 30% 15% 0% Low Moderate Substance Abuse - Area Workforce THE PATHFINDERS 29

32 In consideration of all factors, 95% of the employers in the Forrest County area rated the productivity of the workforce as Good to Excellent. Worker attitudes received high marks from 85% of the employers. WORKER PRODUCTIVITY WORKER RELIABILITY Fair 5% Excellent 27% Fair 19% Excellent 22% Good 68% Good 59% WORKER ATTITUDES TEAMWORK SKILLS Fair 15% Excellent 15% Fair 14% Excellent 10% Good 70% Good 76% THE PATHFINDERS 30

33 The educational competencies of employees are additional factors used to evaluate an area s labor force. In the Forrest County area, 40% of the employers interviewed rated the local public schools as Excellent or Good, and 91% of the employers rated the local community colleges and technical schools as Excellent or Good. Ratings for basic skills and other factors are also shown. LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND TECH SCHOOLS Poor 8% Excellent 8% Fair 6% Poor 3% Good 32% Good 40% Excellent 51% Fair 52% READING SKLLS WRITING SKLLS Fair 20% Poor 2% Excellent 12% Excellent 8% Fair 40% Good 52% Good 66% THE PATHFINDERS 31

34 EMPLOYERS RATINGS The Forrest County Area Labor Shed MATH SKILLS ENTRY LEVEL SKILLS Poor 2% Excellent 10% Poor 5% Excellent 7% Fair 38% Fair 37% Good 51% Good 50% JOB READINESS SKILLS WORKER TRAINABILITY Excellent 5% Fair 15% Excellent 17% Fair 50% Good 45% Good 68% THE PATHFINDERS 32

35 EMPLOYERS RATINGS The Forrest County Area Labor Shed Additionally, many of the employers interviewed stated their companies worked with the area educational institutions in terms of co-ops, apprenticeships, internships or other training programs. 50% 40% Percent of Employers 30% 20% 10% 0% Regularly Sometimes Work with Public Schools Work with Area Colleges/Technical Schools AREA BUSINESS CLIMATE AREA QUALITY OF LIFE Fair 2% Excellent 18% Fair 14% Excellent 37% Good 80% Good 49% THE PATHFINDERS 33

36 A common employer complaint relates to the shortage of skilled and technical workers. These workers are in great demand and difficult to find in the vast majority of locations. Of the companies in the labor shed interviewed, 68% considered skilled worker availability to be Excellent or Good, while 22% considered it to be Fair. The availability of technical workers in the labor shed was rated Excellent or Good by 56% of the interviewed companies and Fair by 30%. The ratings for availability of unskilled and professional workers are also illustrated in the pie charts below. SKILLED WORKERS AVAILABILITY TECHNICAL WORKERS AVAILABILITY Poor 10% Excellent 5% Poor 14% Excellent 3% Fair 22% Fair 30% Good 53% Good 63% PROFESSIONAL WORKERS AVAILABILITY UNSKILLED WORKERS AVAILABILITY Poor 13% Excellent 13% Fair 14% Excellent 18% Fair 25% Good 49% Good 68% THE PATHFINDERS 34

37 THE PATHFINDERS P.O. Box Dallas, Texas Telephone: Fax: Web site: