Southeast Indiana reports annual wage growth

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The southeast Indiana labor market continues to show resiliency, according to a new survey of key employers that anchor the region’s economy.

The 2025 Southeast Indiana Regional Wage & Benefits Survey indicates that wages increased 3.3% over the past year, while 81% of companies reported either stable or growing employment levels over the past two years. 

The report, conducted by Dearborn County economic development organization One Dearborn, surveyed 39 companies across Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio and Ripley counties in southeast Indiana, as well as the neighboring counties of Hamilton in Ohio and Boone in Kentucky.

Other highlights of the report noted in a news release announcing its results:

• About 54% of employers expected to add jobs within the next 12 months.
• About 73% reported difficulties in recruitment, down about 7% from the 2024 report, the first year of the survey.
• About 66% had open job positions, a decrease from 71% in 2024.

A new topic in this year’s survey was child care benefits. Only 23% of southeast Indiana employers offer a child care benefit.

“Recently we’ve been hearing more about the importance of child care benefits as a way of improving workforce participation and employee reliability,” One Dearborn Executive Director Mike Perleberg said in the release.

One Dearborn partnered with Purdue University’s Dauch Center for the Management of Manufacturing Enterprises and REDI Cincinnati to conduct the March survey of regional employers. The survey focused on key industries in the regional economy, including manufacturing, health care and education.

The full report, including wage data for specific job types and aggregated benefit offerings, is available to employers that participated in the survey. Employers interested in participating in the survey are encouraged to contact One Dearborn. All responses are confidential and figures are only reported in aggregate.