Study Spotlights Wayne County Economy
A recently-released study is providing a snapshot of the economic climate in Wayne County. More than 300 executives participated in the survey, which suggests a "fairly optimistic" outlook for area businesses. It includes hiring trends and projections, socioeconomic factors and quality of life metrics.
The research was conducted last summer and involves execs in industries such as professional services, manufacturing, information technology, retail trade, banking and financial services and health care.
The report is a collaboration among the Indiana University East Business and Economic Research Center, the Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County and the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce. The organizations say the results will lay the ground work for future studies.
More than 60 percent of participants have been in business in the county for 20 or more years.
The employment section includes:
- hiring trends and projections
- recruiting methods
- work skills/abilities expected from the applicants
- recruiting difficulties and hard-to-fill positions
- employee training options
Businesses were satisfied with the following:
- utility reliability
- colleges/universities
- financial services
- opportunity for local financing
- healthcare services
- quality of life
Respondents had negative perceptions of:
- work force availability
- work force quality
- wage rates
- utility rates
The results suggest a "large majority" of respondents rate the business climate in Wayne County as "good."