Analysis: 25.8% in Union County work two jobs or more

Ryan Murphy, chief of regional research and analysis with Iowa Workforce Development, provided a 36-page laborshed analysis for Union County Thursday at the Union County Development Association (UCDA) office in Creston.

This 2015 analysis compiles important data regarding wages, industry makeup, employment, expected benefits, commute times and more. This analysis is done every two years and used as a tool for existing businesses and for UCDA when recruiting prospective employers.

The data for this analysis was collected through phone surveys with Union County citizens.

A total of 405 surveys were completed.

That said, here are some takeaways from Thursday’s presentation.

• 25.8 percent of those surveyed work two jobs or more. Murphy said that percentage is quite a bit higher than the state average that’s around 10 to 12 percent.

• 31.6 percent said they were “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to change jobs with the top reasons for changing being layoffs (24.3 percent) and better wages (16.2). Top reasons for staying were job satisfaction (65.4), nearing retirement (13.2) and wages (10.2).

• In this survey, the median wage per hour for women is $12.50, while males earn $15.40.

• 10.1 percent of those surveyed were employed in agriculture, which Murphy said is much higher than the state average of 4 percent.

• The top three employers in this analysis were healthcare and social services (15.4 percent), education (14.4) and wholesale and retail trade (13.5).

• 12.7 percent of those surveyed were self-employed. Murphy said that percentage is quite a bit higher than the state average. He said, historically, rural counties seem to have more self-employed people than metro areas. Murphy added people in rural areas also seem to wait longer to retire.

• 3.7 percent of those surveyed speak another language other than English. Of that 3.7 percent, 75 percent speak Spanish as their second language.

• Murphy said, typically, females are more likely to drive farther for work than males.

For those interested, a hard copy of the full laborshed analysis is available for the public at the UCDA office at 208 W. Taylor St. (Highway 34).