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Nearly 3 in 4 Levy County workers commute to nearby counties
Outflow has declined among workers under 55
CHIEFLAND, Florida (April 2, 2018) – Nearly three out of four workers living in Levy County leave the county for employment, and more than half of those with jobs here live outside the county, according to a new labor shed analysis of workforce and demographic characteristics commissioned by CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion.
Alachua, Marion, Duval and Citrus counties top the list of counties where workers who live here commute for jobs. And almost as many workers living in Levy County are employed in neighboring Alachua County as at home.
At the same time, the daily outflow of workers under age 55 is slowing, with 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 analysis highlights Levy 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
The detailed examination of commuting patterns for Levy County indicates there were 12,774 workers living in Levy County and 7,858 workers employed here. Of those workers who live in the county, 9,199 or 72 percent are employed outside the county.
Among the 7,858 people employed in Levy County, 3,575 (45.5 percent) live and work here, while 4,283 (54.5 percent) commute into the county for work.
According to the findings, Levy County had a net job flow loss of 4,916 workers – in other words, more workers left Levy County for work than commuted into the county. Levy County had the 12th highest outflow rate among Florida counties.
Rusty Skinner, CEO of CareerSource CLM, said that Levy 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 Levy County workers employed outside the county are Alachua County (3,253), Marion County (1,351 workers), Duval County (474 workers) and Citrus and Gilchrist counties (471 workers each). The number of workers commuting to Alachua County is just 322 shy of the number of workers who live and work in Levy County.
Among workers leaving Levy County, 24 percent (2,205) are 29 or younger, 52.5 percent (4,825) are age 30 to 54, and 23.6 percent (2,169) 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.
Of the 4,283 Levy County workers commuting into the county for employment, the top origin counties are Alachua County (703 workers), Marion County (672 workers), Citrus County (377 workers), Gilchrist County (357 workers) and Dixie County (325 workers).
Among those workers commuting into Levy County, 22.2 percent (949) are 29 or younger, 53.4 percent (2,286) are 30 to 54, and 24.5 percent (1,048) are 55 or older.
Other key findings:
- In terms of average wages, 45.9 percent (4,224) of those leaving the county earn $15,012-$39,996 and 31 percent (2,856) earn $39,997 or more; 47.5 percent of those commuting into Levy County (2,034) earn $15,012-$39,996 and 27.2 percent (1,185) earn $39,997 or more.
- Of those workers leaving Levy County, 16.5 percent (1,518) are employed in “goods producing” industries such as mining, construction and manufacturing; 22 percent (2,024) in “trades, transportation and utilities”; and 61.5 percent (5,657) 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 Levy County, 29.8 percent (1,276) are employed in “goods producing” industries; 26.4 percent (1,129) in “trade, transportation and utilities”; and 43.8 percent (1,878) in “other services.”
- Workers employed in Levy County are clustered primarily in the retail trade (16.7 percent) and educational services (13.8 percent) industries. Workers living in Levy County are concentrated in healthcare and social assistance (15.3 percent) and retail trade (13.4 percent).
For a copy of the Levy 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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