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More than half of Citrus County workers commute to nearby counties
Study finds fewer workers under 29 leaving county for employment
LECANTO, Florida (April 2, 2018) – More than half the workers living in Citrus County leave the county for employment, according to a new labor shed analysis of workforce and demographic characteristics commissioned by CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion. At the same time, daily outflow has declined among workers 29 and under, while it has remained virtually unchanged among workers age 30 to 54 and 55 and older.
The labor shed analysis highlights Citrus County commuting patterns showing where workers work and where workers live. It was prepared by the Florida Department of Economic Development’s Bureau of Labor Market Statistics using 2015 annual Census data – the latest available. The labor shed report is designed to help economic developers and existing or prospective businesses determine where a labor market draws its commuting workers.
At the same time, the daily outflow of workers under age 55 is slowing, with slight declines both as a percentage and in total numbers, while there was little change in the number of workers 55 and older commuting for employment.
The detailed examination of commuting patterns for Citrus County found that there were 39,183 workers living in Citrus County and 30,972 workers employed in Citrus County. Of those workers who lived in the county, 20,949 or 53.5 percent were employed outside the county.
Of the 30,972 people employed in Citrus County, 18,234 (58.8 percent) live and work here, while 12,738 (41 percent) commute into the county for work.
According to the report, Citrus County had a net job flow loss of 8,211 workers – in other words, more workers left Citrus County for work than commuted into the county. Citrus County’s outflow rate is the 40th highest among Florida counties.
Rusty Skinner, CEO of CareerSource CLM, said that Citrus County’s labor shed analysis “reinforces the need to be competitive, in terms of compensation, with similar businesses within a one hour commute.”
Top destinations for Citrus County workers employed outside the county are Marion County (3,687 workers), Hernando County (1,976 workers) and Orange County (1,628 workers). Levy County, the third county in the CareerSource CLM region, ranked 14th most popular with 377 workers.
Among workers leaving Citrus County for jobs, 22 percent (4,619) are 29 or younger, 50.8 percent (10,640) are age 30 to 54, and 27.2 percent (5,690) are 55 or older.
“One of our goals should focus on working with high school graduates and first time job seekers to retain their skills within our communities,” Skinner said. “This includes working with our school districts and the College of Central Florida to develop short term, certificate and degree programs (both Associate and Bachelor) that focus on the skills sets that business needs.”
Skinner noted that CareerSource CLM, the public school districts and CF all have active intern and work experience programs that help first-time workers transition into the workforce.
Among the 12,738 workers commuting into the county, 23.5 percent are 29 or younger, 52.6 percent (6,698) are 30 to 54, and 23.9 percent (3,043) are 55 or older.
Of those Citrus County workers living outside the county, the top origin counties are Marion County (2,107 workers), Hernando County (1,776 workers) and Pasco County (829 workers). Levy County ranked seventh with 471 workers.
Other key findings:
- In terms of average wages, 42.7 percent (8,937) of those leaving the county earn $15,012-$39,996 and 31.1 percent (6,514) earn $39,997 or more; 42.9 percent of those commuting into Citrus County (5,463) earn $15,012-$39,996 and 29.4 percent (3,743) earn $39,997 or more.
- Of those workers leaving Citrus County, 14.8 percent (3,091) are employed in “goods producing” industries such as mining, construction and manufacturing; 29.5 percent (6,170) in “trades, transportation and utilities”; and 55.8 percent (11,688) in “other services” which covers a wide array of services including dry cleaning and laundry, administering religious activities, personal and pet care, equipment and machinery repair and dating services. Among workers commuting into Citrus County, 11.5 percent (1,466) are employed in “goods producing” industries; 34.3 percent (4,365) in “trade, transportation and utilities”; and 54.2 percent (6,905) in “other services.”
- Workers employed in Citrus County are clustered primarily in the healthcare and social assistance industries (23.3 percent) along with retail trade (16 percent). Workers living in Citrus County are concentrated in healthcare and social assistance (18.7 percent) and retail trade (15.2 percent)
For a copy of the Citrus County labor shed report, visit the business resource links page or news releases page at careersourceclm.com.
CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion is the local, business-led nonprofit that brings together citizens, businesses, educational providers, and economic development and public partners to develop programs supporting high-quality education/training and employment services to meet regional workforce needs.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Labor Market Statistics, produces, analyzes and distributes labor statistics to improve economic decision making. Data produced is part of a federal/state cooperative statistical program with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Employment and Training Administration.
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