Laborshed study to be conducted in Waukon

Allamakee County Economic Development & Tourism is partnering with Iowa Workforce Development and Iowa Economic Development Authority to complete a Laborshed employment study for the Waukon area. This study will geographically define which communities contribute to Waukon’s workforce, regardless of political boundaries. This defined area is called a Laborshed area and is based upon commuting patterns.

For the success of this study, letters will be sent to employers in Waukon asking that they provide aggregate counts of their employees’ residential ZIP codes. This will allow determination of the scope and scale of Waukon’s Laborshed area and better understanding of where Waukon’s workforce resides.

Once that Laborshed area is determined, a confidential residential telephone survey will be conducted to collect workforce characteristic information specific to the area.  The survey call originates out of Cedar Rapids, therefore, the incoming number will have the 319 area code. It is possible that residents may receive a text message from the survey’s 888 number as well, alerting residents to expect a call from them to take the survey.

Survey questions will cover topics such as employment status, current and desired wages, current and desired benefits, education level and type of occupation, among other things. However, Iowa Workforce Development will not be asking survey takers identifiable information such as name, social security number or date of birth.

Participation in this study will help economic development efforts and support both current and potential employers in the local area. Every year Iowa Workforce Development conducts Laborshed studies across the state. The results of each analysis are publicly available online at www.iowalmi.gov/laborshed.

Those who have questions about the Laborshed project may contact Katie Lippold of Iowa Workforce Development at 515-281-3035 or Val Reinke of Allamakee County Economic Development & Tourism at 563-568-2624.