Labor Market Information for
Workforce Development
Session Goals

Introduce you to Labor Market Information and how it
can help you in your job

Demonstrate a variety of LMI resources

Allow you to familiarize yourself with LMI tools
What is Labor Market Information (LMI)?

Data that describe and predict the relationship between
labor supply and demand

LMI provides data on a variety of subjects:





Population and labor force trends
Industry and occupational employment trends and projections
Wage and benefit information
Career information relating to skills and education
Data are often available at different geographic levels

e.g., State, county, metro area, workforce development region, etc.
Who uses LMI?
Individual
Actors
Policymakers &
Planners
Value-added
Disseminators
• Businesses and Entrepreneurs
• Jobseekers and Students
• Economic and Workforce Dev. Service
Providers
• Education and Training Providers
• Researchers and Grant Writers
• Federal, State, & Local Governments
• Media
• Commercial Data Vendors
4
How can LMI help me as a Workforce
Development professional?






Better understand the workers in my region, their
availability and their capabilities
Identify job opportunities, and match workers to those
job opportunities
Determine education and training resources and needs
Analyze the economic trends affecting my workforce
Enhance grant proposals
Prioritize strategic goals
Our Agenda for the day

Who is my region’s workforce?


What do my workers do?


Education and skills-based data
Where are my region’s jobs?


Occupational data
What can my workers do?


Population and labor force data
Industry data
Pulling it all together
Who is my region’s workforce?
In this section, we will:

Introduce you to several sources of demographic data



US Census Bureau
Alabama State Data Center
Identify sources of key labor force data available through
Alabama LMI


Labor force data
Unemployment data
Common questions

Is my region growing or declining and how will this affect
my economy?

Is my population aging?

Will I have enough workers to meet my workforce
needs?

How many people are looking for work or are available
to work?
The Feds

Decennial Census


Population Estimates & Projections



www.2010.census.gov
Annual Estimates
www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html
American Community Survey


Annual Estimates
www.census.gov/acs/www/
US Census Bureau Resources

Getting Census Data for your community

Interactive maps for the 2010 Census


http://2010.census.gov/2010census/popmap/
Alabama Quickfacts


http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/01000.html
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/01000lk.html
Population Estimates Program (Annually)

Annual estimate of resident population


Characteristics Included:





Reference date is July 1 each year
Age
Sex
Race
Hispanic origin
www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html
American Community Survey (Annually)

Essentially the same questions as the old Census long
form



Conducted throughout the year




21 questions about housing unit
48 questions about each person
2.9 million addresses/about 4.5 million persons
Roughly 1.5% of the population each year
Collected via mail, phone, & in-person
www.census.gov/acs/www
American Community Survey (Annually)
ACS Data grouped in 4 Types of Characteristics

Demographic: sex, age, race Hispanic origin, etc.

Social: Educational attainment, marital status, citizenship,
language, etc.

Economic: Employment, occupation, industry, commute,
household income, poverty, etc.

Housing: Type of unit, own/rent, age of structure, housing value,
etc.
2010 ACS Data Releases
Population
Threshold
Most recently
published
1-Year Estimates
65,000+
Sept. 2011
3-Year Estimates
20,000+
Oct. 2011
5-Year Estimates
Less than
20,000
Dec. 2011
1-Year, 3-Year and 5-Year Public Use Microdata
Sample (PUMS)
100,000+
1-2 months
after release
Product
The Alabama State Data Center

The Alabama State Data
Center is staffed through
UA’s Center for Business
and Economic Research



Source of technical
assistance
Provide help with census,
especially small area
estimates
http://cber.cba.ua.edu/asdc
Population Exercise

Using the sources we just demonstrated, find the
following information for your county

What was your county’s population in 2000 and 2010?

How many people in your county were aged 65 and
older? What percent of your population was aged 65+?

What percent of your county’s population (aged 25+)
have at least a Bachelors Degree? How does this compare
to Alabama overall?
How big is my labor force?

The labor force includes:


People aged 16 and older who are either in the labor force or
actively seeking work
The labor force does not include:

People in the armed forces, retirees, stay-at-home parents,
prisoners, discouraged workers, mentally ill, etc.
How big is my labor force?

The labor force participation rate is the number of
people aged 16 and above participating in the labor force


Around 64 percent for the US; 60 percent for Alabama
Data based on Current Population Survey (CPS)


The CPS is a joint program of the US Bureau of Labor
Statistics and the US Census Bureau
http://www.bls.gov/cps/
Who is considered employed?

Employed persons are those who, during the week of the
12th each month:




Worked at least one hour for pay or profit, or
Were self-employed, or
Worked at least 15 hours without pay on a family farm or
business
Had jobs but were temporarily absent
Who is considered unemployed?

The unemployed are persons who, during the reference
week of the 12th each month:



Were not employed,
Were available for work during the week, and
Actively looked for work within the last 4 weeks

Also included as unemployed are persons who were
waiting to be called back to a job from which they had
been laid off

Note: CPS does not ask about or use unemployment
insurance data.
Getting labor force and unemployment
data for your county/region

The unemployment rate is the percent of people without
jobs in the labor force



Provides an indication of the health of your economy
Offers an estimate of the number of people actively seeking
work
Unemployment data available through Alabama LMI and
US BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)
program.



LAUS is the only official statistic based on an estimating model,
and not a census or survey
http://www2.dir.state.al.us/LAUS/default.aspx
http://www.bls.gov/lau/
Unemployment data available through
Alabama LMI
Unemployment in the US, AL and
Huntsville MSA
12.0%
10.0%
Unemployment Rate
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
Huntsville
Alabama
USA
2.0%
Source: US BLS LAUS
0.0%
Unemployment Exercise

Using the Alabama LMI website:



What was your county’s unemployment rate in March 2012?
How many people were considered unemployed?
Using the BLS website:


What was your county’s highest unemployment rate over the
past 5 years?
Hint: use http://www.bls.gov/lau/
Questions?
What do my workers do?
In this section, we will:

Introduce you to the Standard Occupational Classification
System (SOC).

Show you how to access data on occupational
employment and wage and projected future employment.


Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)
Occupational Projections
Common questions

What types of occupations/jobs are in my region and
what do those jobs pay?

What education and training is required for those
occupations/jobs?

What types of occupations are projected to be in
demand in my region in the future?

What area educational institutions could help support my
region’s current and future workforce demands?
Workers’ Occupations

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) is a
system designed to:


Classify all occupations in the economy, including private,
public, and military occupations
Provide a means to compare occupational data across
government agencies
 Revised

2010 revision

Net new job count is 19; 2 of them “green”
www.bls.gov/soc/soc_structure_2010.pdf
Contains information on 840 detailed occupations


periodically:
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)
Structure
Broad categories lead to unique 6-digit codes
for each occupation:
22 Major groups ; divided into...
49-0000 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
98 Minor groups;
divided into...
49-9000 Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
450 Broad occupations;
divided into...
49-9080 Wind Turbine Service Technicians
800+ Detailed occupations
49-9081 Wind Turbine Service Technicians
Occupational Employment and Wage
Estimates
Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)
 OES collects detailed occupational and
wage information by industry and area

Semi-annual establishment survey

Primarily a mail survey of employers

All 50 states

Data are published annually
OES Survey Sample

1.2 million establishments


QCEW is the sampling frame
Includes establishments in




3-year collection cycle


Nonfarm industries
Agricultural services
Federal, State, and Local governments
The larger an establishment, the more likely it will be
included in the 3 year OES sample
400,000 surveyed annually in two panels

May and November
What Estimates Are Included?


Occupational Employment
Occupational Wages (Hourly and/or Annual)




“Mean” – Average wage
“Median” - The point at which 50% of the employment was
below this wage and 50% was above
“Entry” – The average of the lowest third of reported wages
for the occupation
“Experience” – The average of the upper two-thirds of
reported wages for the occupation
*** BLS also produces 10th, 25th, 75th & 90th wage rate
percentile estimates
Sample OES Data for Alabama
The average wage
The average wage of
the upper two-thirds
The average wage of
the lower two-thirds
Alabama OES Estimates
Geography



Statewide
Metros – 11 MSAs
Balance of State Areas

Counties not in a MSA
Industries

Cross-industry
2-digit NAICS

www2.dir.state.al.us/OES/Wage/default.aspx

*** Wage data is aged to current
year using the latest quarterly
Employment Cost Index (ECI)
factors
Geography and Industries of National OES
Estimates

Geography





Nationwide
State
MSA
www.bls.gov/oes/home.htm
Cross-industry
Example of Cross Industry:
All Machinists (51-4041)
www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes514041.htm

By 3-, 4- and 5-digit NAICS
4-digit NAICS Example: Machinists working in the Motor Vehicle
Parts Manufacturing Industry
www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_336300.htm
Demonstration of Alabama’s OES Data
Website

Cross-Industry OES Estimates


www2.dir.state.al.us/OES/Wage/wagesbygrouparea.aspx
Occupational Wages by Industry Sector

www2.dir.state.al.us/OES/Wage/wagesbyindustrysector1.aspx
OES Exercise
1.
On the LMI website, look up what occupation in your
region (Balance of State or MSA) for the
manufacturing sector had the highest estimated
employment.
A.
B.
2.
What was its SOC Code?
What was its Mean Hourly and Annual Wage?
On the BLS website, look up that occupation/SOC
Code.
A.
B.
How does its Mean Hourly and Annual Wage compare to
the region?
What industries have the highest concentration of
employment in this occupation?
Occupational Projections

Occupational Projections released every two years

BLS develops national projections




Cross-industry and by industry
2010-20 most current release
www.bls.gov/emp/
States develop state projections


Cross-industry
2008-18 most current release


2010-20 projects should be out in July
www2.dir.state.al.us/Projections/default.aspx
Occupational Projection Estimates



Employment – Base year & 10 years forward
Average Annual Growth – annual % change in
employment
Average Annual Job Openings



Total Openings - Numeric change in employment
Growth – Newly created jobs
Replacement – Number of jobs that will arise due to workers
who change occupations, retire, etc.
**Employment may not be sufficient in an occupation to allow the
development of projections or the data may be confidential
Example of Occupational Projections
Openings due to
newly created jobs
Openings projected
due to workers
leaving the
occupation
Demonstration of Alabama’s Projections
Data Website

Occupational Projections


www2.dir.state.al.us/Projections/Occupational/Proj2018/Statewide/Summary.aspx
Industry Projections

www2.dir.state.al.us/Projections/default.aspx
Education and Training Required for
Occupations
BLS assigns three categories of information to each detailed
occupation:
1.
2.
3.
Typical education needed for entry
Commonly required work experience in a related
occupation
Typical on-the-job training needed to obtain competency in
the occupation
*** This classification system is new with the 2010-20 projections
Typical Education Needed for Entry
Less Than High School
1.

janitors and cleaners or cashiers
High School Diploma or
Equivalent
2.

food service manager or
pharmacy technicians
Some College, No Degree
3.



nursing aides, emergency
medical technicians (EMTs) and
paramedics or hairstylists
dietitian or civil engineers
Associate’s Degree
6.

mechanical drafters, respiratory
therapists or dental hygienists
Master’s Degree
7.

transportation inspectors or
computer support specialists
Postsecondary NonDegree Award (certificate
or other award)
4.
Bachelor’s Degree
5.
physician assistants or
educational, vocational, and
school counselors
Doctoral or Professional
degree
8.

Lawyers, physicians and surgeons
or dentists
Commonly Required Work Experience
No experience
A.

Nuclear engineer or dishwasher
Less than 1 year of experience
B.

Meeting, convention and event planners or restaurant cooks
1 to 5 years of experience
C.

Human resources managers or locomotive engineers
More than 5 years of experience
D.

Computer and information systems managers or financial managers
Typical On-The-Job Training Needed to
Attain Competency
None
1.

Long-Term OTJ
4.
Geographers or pharmacists

Short-Term OTJ
2.

Floral designers or sewing
machine operators
Apprenticeships
5.

Moderate-Term OTJ
3.

School bus drivers or printing
press operators
Millwrights or tool and die
makers
Electricians or real estate
appraisers
Internship/residency
6.

Landscape architects or
orthodontist
Occupations Projected With the Fastest
Growth
Projections Exercise
Using the Employment Projections data on the BLS website,
look up the occupation you had identified in the previous
exercise and answer the following:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
What is the projected employment change from 2010 to
2020?
What is the projected percentage change from 2010-2020?
What is the typical entry-level education required for this
occupation?
What work experience in a related occupation is required?
What is the typical on-the-job training is required?
http://www.bls.gov/emp/
Questions?
Where else can I find information
about workers?
In this section, we will:

Introduce you to the Occupational Information Network
(O*NET).




O*NET OnLine
Real-time LMI
My Next Move
Show you how to access basic post-secondary education
data and K-12 education data.



Alabama Commission on Higher Education
National Center for Education Statistics
Alabama Department of Education
O*NET

It is the primary source of U.S. occupational
information.

The O*NET Database contains information on
hundreds of standardized and occupation-specific
descriptors.

The database is continually updated by surveying a
broad range of workers from each occupation.

O*NET OnLine is an interactive application for
exploring and searching occupations.
O*NET OnLine
Find occupations by Key Words
or SOC Code
Find occupations by
Career Cluster, Industry,
Bright Outlook, Green
Economy Sector or
STEM Discipline
Find occupations by required
Abilities, Interests, Knowledge,
Skills, Work Activities,
Technologies, etc.
O*Net Uses

Educational and training curricula development

Job descriptions and resumes

Performance appraisal and management

Compensation and reward

Selection and placement decisions

Recruitment efforts

Vocational and career counseling
O*NET MY NEXT MOVE

Web-based tool for students and job seekers


Also has MY NEXT MOVE FOR VETERANS
Easy-to-use search and career overviews



Search by keys words
Search by industry
Search by interest using O*NET Interest Profiler


http://www.mynextmove.org/
O*NET Exercise
On MyNextMove.org conduct a key word search for a
career one of your clients has an interest in or that you are
interested in.

Find the following about that occupation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What type of knowledge, skills and abilities are required?
What is the job outlook for the occupation?
How do wages for this occupation in your area compare to
national wages for the occupation?
What training programs are near your community?
Real-time Labor Market Information

What is it?





Emerging data source
Aggregates online job
postings into one database
Gives comprehensive
picture of current hiring
Utilizes thousands of
existing data sources
Provides current analysis of
hiring trends

Prominent vendors



Burning Glass
Geographic Solutions
Help Wanted Online
58
Employment opportunities
Available Manufacturing Jobs by MSA
(January 1 to April 30, 2012)
Available
MFG Jobs
20K
10K
*Total Available Jobs: 470,309
59
Source: Burning Glass Labor Insight
Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness
In-Demand Occupations
January 1-April 30, 2012
U.S. Advertised Manufacturing Jobs Openings
All Manufacturing Openings
Occupation
Openings
Sales Representatives, Wholesale & Manufacturing,
Except Technical & Scientific Products
20,514
Engineers
18,847
Software Developers, Applications
18,571
Retail Salespersons
12,002
Computer Systems Analysts
9,560
Maintenance & Repair Workers, General
9,030
Executive Secretaries & Executive Administrative
Assistants
8,571
General & Operations Managers
8,469
Software Developers, Systems Software
7,447
First-Line Supervisors of Production & Operating
Workers
7,430
% of Mfg
Openings
http://www.creconline.org/mep/
4.4%
4.0%
4.0%
2.6%
2.1%
1.9%
Production Openings
1.8%
1.8%
1.6%
1.6%
Occupation
Openings
First-Line Supervisors of Production & Operating
Workers
7,430
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, & Weighers
5,163
Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal
& Plastic
4,296
Production Workers, All Other
3,823
Assemblers & Fabricators, All Other
2,983
Machinists
2,297
Bakers
847
Welders, Cutters, & Welder Fitters
611
Cutting, Punching, & Press Machine Setters,
Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
609
Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Tool
Programmers, Metal & Plastic
576
% of Prod
Openings
19.4%
13.5%
11.2%
10.0%
7.8%
6.0%
2.2%
1.6%
1.6%
1.5%
Post-Secondary Education Data

Alabama Commission on Higher Education

Student Database


http://www.ache.alabama.gov/StudentDB/Index.htm
Economic Development Reports

Potential Workforce by Institution



Potential Workforce Development Region



Undergraduate and Graduate enrollment by major
Completions by major
Academic major enrollment by students from the region
Majors conferred to students from the region
http://www.ache.alabama.gov/Workforce/
Potential Workforce by Workforce
Development Region
ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Accounting Technology/Technician and
Bookkeeping.
Accounting.
Administrative Assistant and Secretarial
Science, General.
Advertising.
Agricultural Economics.
American/United States
Anthropology.
Apparel and Textile Marketing
Architectural Engineering.
Architecture.
Art/Art Studies, General.
1
36
1
1
8
22
2
1
1
1
2
1
2
8
1
1
* State Totals for
these majors
WDR 1 Total
Doctoral
Post-Master
Master
Post-Bachelor
Bachelor
Associate
Less than 2 years
MAJOR
Less than 1 year
SUMMER 2010 THRU SPRING 2011 COMPLETIONS OF STUDENTS
FROM ALABAMA PUBLIC TWO-YEAR AND FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS
SORTED BY MAJOR
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT REGION 1
1
44
97
993
24
3
1
1
1
2
2
2
8
636
79
33
13
56
35
106
27
209
Potential Workforce by Institution
ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General.
Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician.
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics
Child Care and Support Services Management.
Computer and Information Sciences, General.
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts, Other.
Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General.
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician.
Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General.
Electrician.
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT
General Studies.
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Engineering Technology/Technician.
2
18
8
1
1
1
2
13
35
9
1
1
2
* State Totals for
these majors
17
21
4
81
37
18
17
15
15
1
20
15
17
29
6
81
674
144
119
362
744
15
530
118
309
177
506
2,745
8
16
184
13
13
18
2
8
2
6
BEV Total
Associate
Less than 1 year
MAJOR
Less than 2 years
SUMMER 2010 THRU SPRING 2011 COMPLETIONS OF STUDENTS
FROM ALABAMA PUBLIC TWO-YEAR AND FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS
SORTED BY MAJOR
BEVILL STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Post-Secondary Education Data

National Center for Education Statistics

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Collects data from all primary providers of postsecondary
education




Tuition, fees and estimated student expenses
Enrollment
Completions by Programs/Majors
College Navigator – Search for a specific school or schools with a
radius of a zip code

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
K-12 Education Data

Alabama Department of Education’s Public Data Reports


Data on enrollment, high school graduates, dropouts
http://www.alsde.edu/PublicDataReports/Default.aspx
State of Alabama
Department of Education
Enrollment By System, School, Sex, and Race
School Year 2011-2012
System Name
105 Anniston City
0010 Anniston High School
0015 Anniston Middle School
0025 Cob b Elementary School
0030 Constantine Elementary School
0060 Golden Springs Elementary School
0110 Randolph Park Elementary School
0130 Tenth Street Elementary School
0K
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
K12
PK
182
0
0
27
27
42
38
48
207
0
0
29
34
39
38
67
177
0
0
22
33
22
44
56
176
0
0
27
19
36
39
55
195
0
0
28
26
32
40
69
173
0
1
25
27
22
34
64
160
0
160
0
0
0
0
0
172
0
172
0
0
0
0
0
162
0
162
0
0
0
0
0
145
144
1
0
0
0
0
0
165
165
0
0
0
0
0
0
120
120
0
0
0
0
0
0
136
136
0
0
0
0
0
0
2,170
565
496
158
166
193
233
359
16
0
0
0
0
16
0
0
NCES Exercise
Use the COLLEGENavigator tool on NCES website to
answer the following questions:
A.
B.
C.
How many post-secondary institutions are within 20 miles of
the zip code you live in?
For the closest post-secondary institution, what was the its
enrollment?
For the closest post-secondary institution, what academic
program/major has its largest number of graduates?
Questions?
Where are my region’s jobs?
In this section, we will:

Introduce you to the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS).

Show you how to access simple industry data.

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
We need industry data to answer
several relevant questions

What industries employ the most people?

What industries lost the most jobs?

What industries are likely to create the most new
employment opportunities?

What industries pay the highest wages?
Accessing industry data: The North American
Industry Classification System (NAICS)

Replaced the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)
codes

Production-based: Economic units that use like processes
to produce goods or services are grouped together


Industries are classified according to what companies make
Jointly developed across North America
Economic Sectors in the North American
Industry Classification System (NAICS)
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing
Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
Mining & Extraction
Professional, Scientific & Technical
Utilities
Management of Companies
Construction
Admin., Waste & Remediation
Manufacturing
Education
Wholesale Trade
Health Care & Social Assistance
Retail Trade
Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation
Transportation & Warehousing Accommodation & Food
Information
Other Services (Private)
Finance & Insurance
Public Administration
North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS)
NAICS level
Example #1
Example #2
NAICS code
Description
NAICS code
Description
Sector
31-33
Manufacturing
51
Information
Subsector
311
Food Manufacturing
513
Broadcasting and
telecommunications
Industry
group
3115
Dairy Product
Manufacturing
5133
Telecommunications
Industry
31151
Dairy Product
(except Frozen)
Manufacturing
51332
Wireless
telecommunications
carriers, except
satellite
U.S. Industry
311513
Cheese Manufacturing
513321
Paging
Unique to country; standardization ends at 5-digit code.
Quarterly Census of Employment and
Wages (QCEW)

QCEW are considered “universe,” not sample data

Covers all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance
(UI) laws, as well as Federal employees

Covers 98% of all nonfarm wage and salary workers and 45% of
agricultural workers

QCEW produces detailed geographic data on employment and
wages.

Cornerstone of most BLS programs
Accessing Alabama LMI
Exercise: NAICS data

Look at the industry data handout, and consider:

What industries are the biggest source of jobs?

What industries might be the best source of new jobs?

How would you describe the economy of this region?

How has it performed relative to the state?

What region do you think this is?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Website
http://bls.gov/cew
More from the BLS website
http://beta.bls.gov/maps/cew/us
Other BLS Sources of Information

Wage information by industry at the national level is
available through the Current Employment Statistics


http://www.bls.gov/ces/
Earnings at the state and MSA level available through the
State and Metro Area Employment, Hours, & Earnings


Total private weekly and hourly earnings @ MSA and State
level
http://www.bls.gov/sae
Need data from other states? Use the
State LMI Directory www.lmiontheweb.org
Other resources:


Stats America: http://statsamerica.org/
Census County Business Patterns: http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/
Questions?
Pulling this all together
Pulling it together

Goal is to tell a story



Grant proposals
Data reports
Marketing materials
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and
17
35
26
101
Furniture
Manufacturing
Employment
tenders, except sawing
200,000
0.0%
150,000
“Everyone is entitled
to his own opinion,
but not his own facts.
“ ---D.P. Moynihan
Develop an agreed
upon set of
facts/issues from
which to make
decisions
2010
170,060
Holland-Grand Haven, MI
(4,876)
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL
(8,787)
Sewing machine operators
14
Labor Force Size
and
100,000
Change in
-10.0%
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters 12
Unifour
64,941
-15.0%
50,000

2002
36
9
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
(5,695)
84 141,690
-5.0%
Number of Jobs

(Top 50 Metro Areas, 2010)
Los Angeles-Long Beach
-Santa Ana, CA
(16,963)
-20.0%
0
Jasper, IN
(6,017)
20
New York-Northern
U.S.NJLong Island, NY-NJ-PA
(10,780)
85
Unifour
Annual Growth Rate
37,139
of the Furniture
27,531
Upholsterers 15 19 7 15
13,981 (2002Industry
2011)
Tupelo, MS
(8,974)
Greensboro-High Point, NC
(8,107)
Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC
(13,981)
Unifour
Dallas-Fort WorthArlington, TX
(10,599)
Furniture & Related Product
MFG
-25.0%
19
Overall MFG
Piedmont TriadFurniture
MFG Jobs
Charlotte Metro
All Industries
All Others in NC
Source: EMSI
US Furniture
(2010): 359,416
14 11Employment
4 10
Cutters and*Total
trimmers,
hand MFG
Annual
New and
Source: EMSI
20K
5K
*Top 50 metro areas account for 53%
(190,222 jobs) of Jobs
Replacement
total US furniture manufacturing employment
for Key
Furniture Occupations
Source: EMSI 2011 Q2
Source: EMSI
0
50
100
150
200
Data Analysis and Research in the Planning
Process
Lead
Analyze
Prioritize
Execute
Consider using multiple data sources
Secondary
Data
Primary
Data
Direct Business Input
Industry Surveys
“Real Time” Labor
Market Information
Short Term
Economic,Workforce
and Education Data
Long Term
Final thought

The ‘make a friend’ strategy---Don’t be afraid to pick up
the phone



Alabama LMI
Alabama State Data Center
US Census Bureau, US Bureau of Labor Statistics

All these agencies employ real people who are willing and
able to help you

Bonus final thought: Always source and date your data!
Thank you!

Mark C. White


mwhite@crec.net
Drew Conrad

Andrew.conrad@uni.edu