In this project, the Labor Vacancy Survey was used to estimate the extent and nature of labor shortages in the six partner communities. The survey was a self-administered questionnaire mailed in August/September of 2009 using purchased mailing lists. The data was weighted to reflect the population of employers in the six regions. This section gives overview information on the Labor Vacancy Survey and breaks down the survey using the results from Edgemont/Hot Springs, SD and Wayne, NE.
- Overview
- Openings & Compensation
- Required Skills & Experience
- Recruitment & Retention
- Assessment of Hires
The Labor Vacancy Survey asked four sets of core questions:
-
Job Openings Questions
- Quantify the number of openings by occupation, the starting salary, employer paid benefits offered, training provided, and any financial incentives offered by the employer.
-
Job Requirements Questions
- Determine the minimum experience, educational qualifications, skill requirements, and workplace competencies of each occupational opening.
-
Applicant Assessment Questions
- Measure the quality and shortcomings of applicants for each occupational opening.
-
Vacancy Analysis Questions
- Estimate the vacancy duration, difficulties in filling vacancies, and the degree of job turnover and retention.
Both the project team and representatives in the community have analyzed and interpreted the survey results for use in community decision making. These data can be used by a variety of groups in the community.
- Partner Communities: Can use the information to develop strategies to attract and retain needed workers.
- Economic Developers: Can use the information to understand the current demand for workers to more effectively assist employers and jobseekers.
- Education and Training Providers: can use the information to understand the current demand for skills to target training programs and develop curricula to address skill gaps.
- Employers: can use the information to determine hiring competition and prioritize human resource needs.
- Jobseekers: can use the information to better understand the types of jobs offered in the area, the education and experience required, and the wages and benefits paid, to make informed career decisions.
Edgemont/Hotsprings, SD
Job Openings, Compensation & Benefits
The Edgemont/Hotsprings communities had 1298 total job openings in 2009. Of these job openings 689 were full-time positions and 510 were part-time positions.
|
61% took less than 30 days to fill
|
25% took 1-2 months to fill
|
13% took over 2 months to fill
|
There were 1891 anticipated future openings (2010) for the Edgemont/Hotspring communities:
- 578 professional/managerial jobs
- 552 production/transport/trades jobs
- 480 healthcare support jobs
- 281 admin/sales/service jobs
Non-representative summary (interpret with caution)
- 1298 openings in 2009
- 1891 future openings anticipated for 2010
- Most openings took less than one to fill
- Average wage of openings was $8.88/hour
- Only about 2/5 of openings offered benefits
Wayne, NE
Job Openings, Compensation & Benefits
The Wayne community had 651 total job openings in 2009. Of these job openings 339 were full-time positions and 210 were part-time positions. The remaining jobs were not identified as full-time or part-time positions.
|
57% took less than 30 days to fill
|
33% took 1-2 months to fill
|
16% took over 2 months to fill
|
About 20% of production/transport/trades jobs did not respond.
There were 595 anticipated future openings (2010)for the Wayne community:
- 331 professional/managerial jobs
- 174 production/transport/trades jobs
- 58 healthcare support jobs
- 32 admin/sales/service jobs
Representative summary
- 651 openings in 2009
- 595 future openings anticipated for 2010
- Most openings took less than one to fill
- Average wage of openings was $8.94/hour
- Only about 1/2 of openings offered benefits
Edgemont/Hot Springs, SD
Required Skills & Experience for Job Openings
|
Minimum Level of Education
|
10th Grade Level Skills Requirements
|
10th Grade Level Knowledge Requirements
|
Required Experience & Applicant Shortcomings
|
Minimum Level of Experience
|
Applicant Shortcomings-Job Related
|
Applicant Shortcomings-Work Related
|
Non-representative summary (interpret with caution)
- Most openings require no education or high school degree
- Basic high school skills are important for most openings
- Math & computer skills important for over 2/5 of openings
Wayne, NE
Required Skills & Experience for Job Openings
|
Minimum Level of Education
|
10th Grade Level Skills Requirements
|
10th Grade Level Knowledge Requirements
|
Required Experience & Applicant Shortcomings
|
Minimum Level of Experience
|
Applicant Shortcomings-Job Related
|
Applicant Shortcomings-Work Related
|
Representative summary
- Most openings require less than high school or 2-year degrees
- Listening & speaking skills important
Edgemont/Hotsprings, SD
New Hire Recruitment & Retention
|
Jobs Advertised
|
New Hires Came From
|
Time at Job for New Hires
|
Why Do Employees Leave
|
Non-representative summary (interpret with caution)
- Most openings advertised in local papers & internet
- Over 2/3 of new hires come from local area
- One-half of new hires stay 1-3 years on avg.
- Most employees leave due to relocation, career change or dissatisfaction with area
Wayne, NE
New Hire Recruitment & Retention
|
Jobs Advertised
|
New Hires Came From
|
Time at Job for New Hires
|
Why Do Employees Leave
|
Representative Summary
- Most openings advertised in local papers
- Most hires come from local area
- Most new hires stay 1-3 or 4-10 years on average
- Most employees leave due to change in careers or relocation
Edgemont/Hotsprings, SD
Assessment of New Hires
|
Applicants met required skills & experience
|
Difficulty filling openings with qualified applicants
|
Difficulty filling future openings
|
Impact unfilled jobs has on business/firm
|
Non-representative summary, interpret with caution
- Most applicants match job requirements fairly well
- Firms had some difficulty filing with qualified applicants
- Most firms anticipate some difficulty in filling future openings with qualified applicants
- Not filling future openings will have a moderate impact on the operation of the firm/business
Edgemont/Hotsprings, SD Assessment of Hires Charts (pdf)
Wayne, NE
Assessment of New Hires
|
Applicants met required skills & experience
|
Difficulty filling openings with qualified applicants
|
Difficulty filling future openings
|
Impact unfilled jobs has on business/firm
|
Representative Summary
- Most applicants for openings match the job requirements well
- Firms had some difficulty filling openings with qualified applicants
- Most firms anticipate some difficulty in filling future openings with qualified applicants
- Not filling future openings will have a moderate to severe impact on the operation of the firm or business