City Notes: Floyd County manufacturing employment breaks 1,700

By Tim Fox, Executive Director, Charles City Area Development Corporation

The latest Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages published by Iowa Workforce Development denotes Floyd County manufacturing employment at 1,701 for September 2017.

We have collectively come a long way in the past six years. In February 2011, employment was 916. So, in six and one-half years manufacturing employment grew 86 percent.

Manufacturing employees in Floyd County in each September since 2011, and increase from previous year:

• 2011 — 984
• 2012 — 1,085 — (+10.3%)
• 2013 — 1,222 — (+12.6%)
• 2014 — 1,250 — (+2.3%)
• 2015 — 1,382 — (+10.6%)
• 2016 — 1,457 — (+5.4%)
• 2017 — 1,701 — (+16.7%)

Manufacturing employment for September 2017 in surrounding counties:

• Bremer — 1,478
• Butler — 732
• Cerro Gordo — 2,696
• Chickasaw — 1,358
• Franklin — 957
• Howard — 1,121
• Mitchell — 1,024
• Worth 475

The average Floyd County weekly manufacturing wage for third quarter 2017 was $1,134 — 8.8 percent above the state average of $1,042.

Third quarter average weekly wages for surrounding counties:

• Bremer — $1,090
• Butler — $896
• Cerro Gordo — $958
• Chickasaw — $909
• Franklin — $919
• Howard — $839
• Mitchell — $904
• Worth — $810

Manufacturing jobs pay well and customarily have good benefits packages, which is why we work to increase the labor pool of potential employees. Should you be unemployed or underemployed and have the acumen for problem-solving, manufacturing is a sound career choice.

In the first quarter of 2011, there were 5,242 jobs filled in Floyd County. In the third quarter of 2017 that number grew to 6,100, a 16.4 percent uptick. The number of jobs in Iowa increased merely 5.6 percent in that span.

Floyd County manufacturers deserve acclaim for their investments in job training, and as a community and state I trust that we shall continue to support these efforts.

• • •

I would be remiss if not recognizing the abilities, determination and hard work of former Charles City Mayor Jim Erb. Jim is known statewide for his efforts in community betterment, especially work force development and watershed management.

He proved to be a consistent ally not only to the Charles City Area Development Corp., where he served on the board of directors, but to countless agencies and organizations in Charles City, regionally and across Iowa.

We are thankful for his dogged pursuit of fact, his commendable record of accomplishment and his commitment to rural Iowa.