This laborshed summary for the Mid Iowa Growth Partnership nine county region was completed in 2011.

1. 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 Mid Iowa Growth Partnership, information from local and state sources were
plotted for geographic analysis. The information contained within this summary is based on aggregate data from the
Calhoun, Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Webster, and Wright County Laborshed studies
(2,302 total completed surveys). Customized industry specific and community specific information is available upon
request.
Occupations and Employment Status in the Mid Iowa Growth Partnership
Survey respondents from the Mid Iowa Growth % within
Occupations
Partnership were asked to identify their current Region
job title and the industry in which they are Management 17.2%
currently working. The largest concentration of
workers are employed within the management; Office & Administrative Support 16.2%
office and administrative support; or education, Education, Training, & Library 10.8%
training, & library occupational categories. The Production 8.7%
top industries are education; health care/social Health Care Practitioner & Technical 7.2%
services; wholesale & retail trade; and
Business & Financial Operations 5.0%
manufacturing.
Sales & Related 4.8%
The chart below shows the percentage of
Health Care Support 3.6%
respondents by employment status within the
Mid Iowa Growth Partnership. Installation, Maintenance, & Repair 3.5%
Unemployed Transportation & Material Moving 3.3%
Employed 7.8% Food Preparation & Serving Related 3.1%
78.8% Personal Care & Service 2.8%
Homemakers
Construction & Extraction 2.6%
5.9%
Building/Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance 2.2%
Retired Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Related 1.6%
7.5% Community & Social Services 1.4%
Protective Service 1.4%
Architecture & Engineering 1.2%
Life, Physical, & Social Science 1.0%
Computer & Mathematical Science 0.9%
Legal 0.7%
Farming, Fishing, & Forestry 0.5%
Total Potential Labor Force: 207,414
(entire Regional Commuting Area) Military Specific 0.3%
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 who worked for higher wages at previous employment.
 1.7% Inadequate hours
 2.9% Mismatch of skills
 1.3% Low income
 5.1% Total estimated underemployment
Individuals may be underemployed for more than one reason, but are counted only once for total estimated underemployment.
Industrial Classification of the Employed
% within # of
Industry
Region Employed
Education 18.5% 30,237
Health Care/Social Services 16.0% 26,151 Survey respondents from the Calhoun,
Wholesale & Retail Trade 13.7% 22,392 Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo
Manufacturing 13.3% 21,738 Alto, Pocahontas, Webster, and Wright
Public Administration/Government 8.8% 14,383 County Laborshed commuting areas were
asked to identify the industry in which they
Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate 6.4% 10,460 are currently working. The largest
Transportation, Communication, & Utilities 5.5% 8,989 concentration of workers are employed
Personal Services 5.1% 8,336 within the education industry as shown in
Professional Services 4.4% 7,191 the table at left.
Agriculture 4.2% 6,865
Construction 3.2% 5,230
Entertainment & Recreation 0.7% 1,144
Other (Non-profit, Religious, Military, etc.) 0.2% 327

3. Mid Iowa Growth Partnership Regional Commuting Area
t
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MURRAY COTTONWOOD
COTTONWOOD
WATONWAN
WATONWAN
BLUE EARTH
BLUE EARTH
WASECA
WASECA
STEELE
STEELE
DODGE
DODGE
OLMSTED
OLMSTED
WINONA
WINONA
Quick Facts
Legend
NOBLES
_
[ Mid Iowa Growth Partnership Node Community
(Employed - willing to change employment)
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NOBLES JACKSON
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JACKSON MARTIN FARIBAULT FREEBORN Mid Iowa Growth Partnership Commuting Area
MOWER FILLMORN
MARTIN FARIBAULT 90
90
FREEBORN
Interstate
MOWER FILLMORN
 23.0% are willing to change employment
t
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169 4-Lane Highway  14.9% are working multiple jobs
OSCEOLA
Armstrong
Armstrong Swea City
Ledyard
Ledyard
US Highways
t
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t
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LYON OSCEOLA Swea City Lakota
t
Estherville
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LYON DICKINSON Estherville Lakota
60 DICKINSON EMMET WINNEBAGO WORTH State Highways
60 EMMET WINNEBAGO WORTH
t
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MITCHELL HOWARD
hours per week
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MITCHELL HOWARD
Wallingford 65
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Iowa County
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Bancroft
Wallingford 65 WINNESHIEK
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Ringsted Bancroft
Ringsted WINNESHIEK
63
Average age is 47 years old
Titonka
63

Fenton Titonka
Ruthven
Graettinger
Graettinger
Fenton
KOSSUTH Burt
Minnesota County
Dickens Ruthven KOSSUTH Burt
Spencer Dickens Clear Lake
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Garner
[
Cylinder
25.0% currently working in the
Spencer
Algona Wesley
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Emmetsburg Clear Lake
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Garner
[
Cylinder Mason City
Algona Wesley
t [
Emmetsburg
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Lone Rock Ventura
SIOUX OBRIEN Lone Rock Ventura
Mason City
SIOUX OBRIEN CLAY
CLAY PALO ALTO 18
18 HANCOCK Britt CERRO GORDO
t
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PALO ALTO HANCOCK Britt CERRO GORDO
t
FLOYD CHICKASAW
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Greenville Ayrshire
t
71Greenville Ayrshire Klemme FLOYD CHICKASAW
production, construction, & material
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Lu Verne
71
t
Klemme
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Whittemore Lu Verne Rockwell
Corwith Thornton
t
59 Mallard
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Goodell Rockwell
West Bend Whittemore Corwith Thornton
59 Curlew
Curlew
Mallard
West Bend Kanawha 69Goodell
69 Meservey
Kanawha
Swaledale
Swaledale
handling occupational category, followed
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Bode
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Marathon
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Marathon Bode Livermore Belmond FAYETTE
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Sheffield
Plover Ottosen LivermoreRenwick Belmond Sheffield 218 FAYETTE
218
by 23.5% in the professional,
Plover
Havelock Rolfe Ottosen RenwickGoldfield 35
Clarion Rowan Alexander 35
Laurens Havelock Rolfe Rutland Goldfield
Albert City Laurens
HUMBOLDT Rutland
Clarion Rowan Alexander
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[
PLYMOUTH Albert City HUMBOLDT Bristow BREMER
_ _ _
[
CHEROKEE
[ [
Bradgate Hardy
PLYMOUTH BUENA VISTA Latimer Bristow BREMER
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[
CHEROKEE POCAHONTAS
[
Bradgate
Rutland Hardy Coulter Latimer
BUENA VISTA WRIGHT
paraprofessional, & technical
POCAHONTAS Rutland Coulter Dumont
Dakota City
WRIGHT Dumont
Storm Lake Gilmore City Thor Hampton
Storm Lake Pocahontas
Pocahontas Gilmore City Humboldt City
Dakota
Humboldt
Thor Galt Hampton
FRANKLIN
Geneva BUTLERKesley
Geneva BUTLERKesley
Galt
Newell Fonda Fonda Dows FRANKLIN
occupational category
Newell Fonda Fonda Palmer Badger Dows
Badger Eagle Grove Aplington
Palmer Eagle Grove Popejoy Bradford Austinville Aplington
Clare
Clare Fort Dodge
Fort Dodge Vincent
Woolstock
Woolstock
Popejoy Bradford Austinville Parkersburg
Parkersburg
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Blairsburg Ackley Cedar Falls
_
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Vincent Vincent
_
Blairsburg Ackley Cedar Falls
_ [
Pomeroy Jolley
[
Pomeroy Manson Vincent
Webster City Iowa Falls
Pomeroy Jolley Pomeroy Manson Barnum
_
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Webster City
Alden
Alden Iowa Falls
 Most frequently identified job search
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Barnum Wellsburg
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Dike BLACK HAWK BUCHANAN
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Wellsburg
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Sac City Knierim Otho Williams Dike BLACK HAWK BUCHANAN
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Sac City Lytton Knierim Otho Duncombe Williams
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Steamboat Rock
[ 20
Lytton Duncombe
sources:
WOODBURY IDA SAC
Moorland Otho Steamboat Rock
WOODBURY IDA CALHOUN 20
Moorland Otho Otho Kamrar
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SAC CALHOUN Otho Kamrar HARDIN Grundy Center
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WEBSTER HAMILTON HARDIN Grundy Center
Rockwell City Somers WEBSTER HAMILTON Jewell GRUNDY
Rockwell City Somers Callender
Burnside
Burnside
Lehigh
Lehigh Jewell
Radcliffe
Radcliffe
Eldora
Eldora
GRUNDY 380
380
Auburn
Internet
Callender Stratford Stanhope

Auburn Ellsworth Hubbard
Lake City Stratford Stanhope Ellsworth Hubbard
Lake City Lohrville Farnhamville Gowrie Dayton
Lohrville Farnhamville Gowrie Harcourt Randall New ProvidenceUnion
Dayton Randall New ProvidenceUnion
Harcourt
Carroll
Carroll
LidderdaleLanesboro
LidderdaleLanesboro
Churdan
Churdan
Paton
Paton BoxholmPilot Mound
BoxholmPilot Mound
Boone
Boone
Boone
Story City Roland
Story City Roland Zearing
Zearing
www.iowaworkforce.org
MONONA
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TAMA BENTON
www.monster.com
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MONONA CRAWFORD Beaver TAMA BENTON
CARROLL Ames
CRAWFORD CARROLL Scranton
Scranton
GREENE Jefferson
Beaver
BOONE 30
30
Ames
STORY MARSHALL
MARSHALL
BOONEOgden
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Jefferson
GREENE Ogden Ames
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Ames
30
30
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330  Local/Regional newspapers
POWESHIEK
The Des Moines Register
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HARRISON SHELBY AUDUBON POWESHIEK
GUTHRIE
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HARRISON SHELBY AUDUBON DALLAS POLK JASPER IOWA
GUTHRIE DALLAS POLK JASPER IOWA
80
80
The Messenger - Fort Dodge
 Local Iowa Workforce
Those who are willing to change or accept employment in the Mid Iowa Development Centers
Growth Partnership are willing to commute an average of 25 miles one  Networking through friends, family,
way for employment opportunities.
or acquaintances
Benefits Currently Offered
89.3% Health/Medical
Pension/Retirement
Dental Coverage
The survey provides the respondents an Paid Vacation
opportunity to identify employment benefits they 62.7% Life Insurance
currently are offered. The chart at right provides Paid Sick Leave
the percentage of responses from those who are Vision Coverage
currently employed. Paid Holidays
40.3% Disability Insurance
36.9%
The majority (71.8%) of respondents state they are
currently sharing the cost of health insurance
premiums with their employer. However, 21.9 22.1%
20.1% 19.4%
percent indicate their employer pays the entire cost 15.3%
of insurance premiums. 11.9%
Education and Current Median Wage Characteristics by Industry
Education Median Wages
Some Level Salary Non-Salary
Industry Associate Undergraduate Postgraduate
Beyond High Wages Wages
Degree Degree Degree
School (per year) (per hour)
Agriculture, Forestry, & Mining 66.2% 13.0% 19.5% 1.3% $30,000 $14.50
Construction 51.6% 6.5% 11.3% 1.6% $45,000 $15.00
Manufacturing 61.7% 13.8% 17.6% 3.8% $55,000 $15.00
Transportation, Communication, & Utilities 70.3% 18.0% 18.0% 2.7% $56,500 $15.50
Wholesale & Retail Trade 65.6% 13.0% 13.8% 3.4% $40,000 $9.88
Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate 86.2% 13.8% 43.1% 5.2% $52,500 $11.50
Health Care & Social Services 80.9% 28.9% 17.8% 9.7% $55,000 $13.48
Personal Services 69.1% 9.3% 18.6% 7.2% $30,000 $8.88
Entertainment & Recreation 64.7% 23.5% 17.6% 5.9% * $9.13
Professional Services 80.0% 21.2% 23.5% 8.2% $48,000 $12.50
Public Administration & Government 78.7% 19.4% 23.1% 6.3% $46,000 $18.00
Education 90.1% 5.5% 39.5% 33.7% $49,900 $11.45
This table includes all respo ndents witho ut co nsideratio n o f emplo yment status, willingness to change/enter emplo yment, o r o ccupatio n
*Insufficient survey data/refused