This laborshed summary covers Webster County Iowa and its largest city, Fort Dodge. It was completed in 2011.

1. Fort Dodge & Webster County
IOWA
FORT DODGE
WEBSTER COUNTY
Laborshed Analysis
A Study of Workforce Characteristics
Released January 2011

2. Laborshed Studies
A Laborshed is defined as the area or region from which an employment center draws its commuting workers. To
determine the approximate boundaries of the Fort Dodge & Webster County Laborshed area, local employers supplied the
ZIP code listings of where each of their employees reside. This Laborshed analysis addresses underemployment, the
availability and willingness of current and prospective employees to change employment within the workforce, current and
desired occupations, wages, hours worked, and distance willing to commute to work. See contact information on back.
Total Potential Labor Force: 102,276 (entire Laborshed Area) Quick Facts
(Employed - willing to change employment)
Estimated Number of Individuals Very Likely or Somewhat Likely to
Change or Accept Employment 17,106)  12.1% are working multiple jobs
 Currently working an average of 42 hours per
week
Unemployed  Average age is 46 years old
Employed
818  26.2% currently working within the production,
14,302
construction, & material handling occupational
Homemakers category followed by 18.5% within the
1,377 managerial occupational category
 Most frequently identified job search sources:
Retired  Internet
609 www.iowaworkforce.org
www.careerbuilder.com
www.iowajobs.org
 Local/Regional newspapers
The Messenger - Fort Dodge
The Des Moines Register
Employment Status:  Local Iowa Workforce Development
Centers
 77.8% Employed  Networking through friends, family, and
 8.6% Unemployed acquaintances
 6.7% Homemakers, Not Employed
 6.9% Retired
Underemployment
The underemployed are composed of individuals who are working fewer than 35 hours per week but desire more hours;
who are working at wages equal to or less than the national poverty level; and/or who are working in positions that do not
meet their skill or education levels, or worked for higher wages at previous employment.
 1.7% Inadequate hours (243 people)
 3.2% Mismatch of skills (458 people)
 2.7% Low income (386 people)
 6.7% Total estimated underemployment (958 people)
Individuals may be underemployed for more than one reason, but are counted only once for total estimated underemployment.
Industrial Classification of the Employed
% of # of
Industry
Laborshed Employed
Education 24.3% 19,336
Health Care & Social Services 15.5% 12,333 Survey respondents from the Fort Dodge &
Manufacturing 10.9% 8,673 Webster County Laborshed area were
Wholesale & Retail Trade 10.9% 8,673 asked to identify the industry in which they
Public Administration & Government 8.2% 6,525 are currently working. The largest
Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate 6.7% 5,331 concentration of workers are employed in
Personal Services 6.7% 5,331 the education industry as shown in the
Transportation, Communication, & Utilities 6.4% 5,093 table at left.
Agriculture 3.7% 2,944
Professional Services 3.7% 2,944
Construction 3.0% 2,387
Entertainment & Recreation 0.0% 0

3. Fort Dodge & Webster County Commuting Area
OSCEOLA DICKINSON t
u EMMET WINNEBAGO WORTH
MITCHELL
Area Shown Commuter Concentration
by Place of Residence (per ZIP Code)
Commuting Statistics
KOSSUTH
OBRIEN
CLAY PALO ALTO
t
u 18
Algona
HANCOCK Zone 3 (1 - 37) GORDO
CERRO
t
FLOYD
The map at the left represents commuting
u 71
Lu Verne Zone 2 (38 - 142)
patterns into Fort Dodge with the
West Bend
t 1 (143 - 4,376)
u69
Zone
Ottosen Bode Livermore Renwick
concentration per ZIP code represented in the
HEROKEE POCAHONTAS
Rolfe
Bradgate Rutland
HUMBOLDT
Hardy
Goldfield
§
¦
¨ 35 legend.
BUENA VISTA
Pocahontas WRIGHT FRANKLIN BUTLER
Dakota City
Gilmore City
Humboldt
Thor
Clarion
Galt
Those who are willing to change/accept
Palmer
Clare Badger
Eagle Grove
Woolstock
employment in the Fort Dodge & Webster
Fort Dodge
Vincent
County Laborshed area are willing to
_
[
Pomeroy Jolley Pomeroy Manson Barnum Blairsburg Alden
Lytton Knierim
WEBSTER
Webster City
Williams
commute an average of 21 miles one way for
t
u
Moorland Duncombe
employment opportunities.
Otho
IDA SAC CALHOUN Rockwell City
20 Kamrar GRUNDY
HAMILTON HARDIN
Somers
Callender Burnside Lehigh
Lake City
Lohrville Farnhamville Gowrie Harcourt Dayton
Stratford Stanhope
Legend
Lidderdale Lanesboro Churdan Paton BoxholmPilot Mound
Boone
Story City _
[ Fort Dodge
Carroll
Interstate TAMA
t
u
CRAWFORD CARROLL Ames
GREENE Beaver STORY MARSHALL
BOONE
Ogden 30 Ames
Jefferson
4-Lane Highway
US Highways
t
u
330
State Highways
SHELBY AUDUBON GUTHRIE DALLAS POLK JASPER POWESHIE
10 Mile Radius Between Rings Iowa County
Benefits Currently Offered
88.5%
Health/Medical
The survey provides the respondents an
Pension/Retirement opportunity to identify employment benefits
Dental Coverage they currently are offered. The chart at left
Paid Vacation provides the percentage of responses from
Life Insurance
61.3% those that are currently employed. The top
Paid Sick Leave
Vision Coverage nine benefits are shown.
Disability Insurance
40.2% Paid Holidays The majority (76.9%) of respondents state
33.0% they are currently sharing the cost of
health/medical insurance premiums with
23.0% their employer. However, 16.2 percent
18.0% 17.6%
14.2% 12.6% indicate their employer pays the entire cost
of insurance premiums.
Education and Median Wage Characteristics by Industry
Education Median Wages
Some Level Undergraduate Salary Non-Salary
Industry Associate
Beyond High Degree or Wages Wages
Degree
School Higher (per year) (per hour)
Agriculture 30.8% 7.7% 7.7% $47,000 $8.38
Construction 63.6% 9.1% 9.1% * $17.00
Manufacturing 57.9% 10.5% 26.3% $60,000 $14.96
Transportation, Communication, & Utilities 66.7% 25.0% 29.2% $68,000 $19.38
Wholesale & Retail Trade 83.3% 19.0% 28.5% $43,500 $8.50
Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate 86.4% 4.5% 68.2% $66,500 *
Health Care & Social Services 88.2% 31.4% 23.5% $49,000 $12.25
Personal Services 66.7% 4.8% 33.3% $32,000 $9.50
Entertainment & Recreation * * * * *
Professional Services 66.7% 13.3% 40.0% $49,000 $12.00
Public Administration & Government 77.8% 14.8% 33.3% $57,000 $18.73
Education 90.4% 9.6% 73.5% $58,000 $11.95
This table includes all respondents without consideration of employment status or willingness to change/enter employment.
*Insufficient survey data/refused

4. Unemployed - Those Willing to Enter/Re-enter Employment
 An estimated 818 unemployed individuals are willing to accept
employment
 Average age is 48 years old
 53.8% are female; 46.2% are male 60.0%
 Education:
 73.1% have an education beyond high school 56.0%
Internet
 26.9% have an associate degree
Unemployed Job Search Sources
 26.9% have an undergraduate degree
Local IWD Offices
 3.8% have a postgraduate/professional degree
 Estimated wage range to attract the upper 66-75% qualified hourly wage
applicants is $14.10 to $15.00/hr. with a median of the lowest wage of
$10.00 40.0% 40.0%
 Willing to commute an average of 24 miles one way for the right
opportunity
Local Newspapers
Networking
 76.9% expressed interest in temporary and 57.7% in seasonal
Private Employment Services
employment opportunities
 57.7% expressed interest in working varied shifts (2nd, 3rd & split)
Regional Newspapers
 Would prefer to enter employment that offers the following benefits:
 Health/medical insurance
 Pension/retirement options
 Paid vacation
 Dental coverage
 Vision coverage
 Life insurance
 Paid holidays 8.0% 8.0%
 Disability insurance
 Paid sick leave
 Prescription drug coverage
 59.1% indicated they are seeking employment offers where the
employer/employee share the cost of medical insurance premiums.
Sponsored in Partnership with
For more information regarding the Fort Dodge & Webster County Laborshed Analysis, contact:
Development Corporation of Fort Dodge and Webster County
822 Central Ave, Suite 406
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Phone: 515-955-7788
Fax: 515-955-5421
E-Mail: info@wcfddevelopment.com
www.wcfddevelopment.com
This information is analyzed and compiled by the
Iowa Workforce Development
Labor Market & Workforce Information Division
Regional Research & Analysis Bureau
1000 E. Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50319
(515) 281-7505
www.iowaworkforce.org