Page 11 - Flathead Beacon // 10.26.16

NEWS
Flathead County’s Economy Faces Worker
Shortage, Industrial Shifts
More than 800 positions are up for grabs during shoulder season
BY DILLON TABISH OF THE BEACON
In stark contrast to only a few years
ago, Flathead County has an abundance of job openings even now during the so-called shoulder season.
The local job service has more than 800 positions listed, ranging from entry- level temporary and part-time work in retail and accommodations to full-time career prospects in health care and other industries. The number of open- ings has only slightly decreased from the summertime high-water mark of nearly 1,000, which was the most ever listed with Flathead Job Service in Kalispell.
“We’re de nitely in a candidate-driven labor market right now. We have to adjust to that,” said Kristen Heck, president of LC Sta ng in Kalispell, which provides employee search services for businesses.
The local economy is regaining steam a decade after the bottom fell out in the recession, though signi cant industrial and demographic shifts are creating headwinds to varying degrees.
In terms of industrial changes, the county’s identity has evolved in many ways over the last 10 years. In September 2007, this was one of the most vibrant and diverse economies in the state as manu- facturing, construction and other sectors enjoyed rapid growth. There were 44,120 people employed and 1,583 unemployed.
In the wake of the great recession, Flathead County has developed into a robust tourist destination, leading to an in ux of accommodation and service-in- dustry jobs, while manufacturing has remained strong but not as sizeable as before. For example, the number of local jobs in the wood products industry has dropped from 1,537 in 2006 to fewer than 1,000 this year.
Overall, from 2000 to 2015, the num- ber of manufacturing jobs in the county has dropped from 3,881 to 2,669, accord- ing to data with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In that same span, the number of positions in accommodation and food services has spiked from 4,054 to 5,539.
Last month, there were 42,966 peo- ple employed and 2,007 unemployed in the county. The economic improvements are still below the 2007 gures but much improved from only four years ago. In September 2012, there were 39,967 peo- ple employed and 3,186 unemployed, according to state labor statistics.
The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon last week dedicated to the topic of worker shortages and featured a panel of local human resource managers and economic experts who explained how businesses can address the issue.
Businesses can improve their chances of landing a successful employee by
TOP 10 HIGHEST-EMPLOYING OCCUPATIONSSTATEWIDE, 2015
OCCUPATION
RETAIL SALESPERSONS
CASHIERS
OFFICE CLERKS
FOOD PREPARATION/SERVING REGISTERED NURSES BOOKKEEPING/ACCOUNTING WAITERS/WAITRESSES SECRETARIES/ADMIN ASSISTANTS JANITORS/CLEANERS HEAVY/TRACTOR-TRAILER TRUCK DRIVERS
SOURCE: MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY
EMPLOYMENT
15,470 15,160 10,940 10,560 9,640 9,370 8,590 8,480 7,970 6,210
AVG. SALARY
$27,130
$21,270 $29,400 $19,860 $62,650 $34,390 $20,970 $30,490 $25,920 $43,900
LIFESTYLES 2014-2015 DATA ESTIMATES FROM THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
ESTIMATED POPULATION ON JULY 1, 2015
PERSONS 65 AND OLDER
POPULATION CHANGE SINCE 2010 OWNER-OCCUPIED HOUSING RATE
MEDIAN VALUE OF OWNER-OCCUPIED HOUSING UNIT MEDIAN MONTHLY OWNER COSTS W/ A MORTGAGE MEDIAN GROSS RENT
BACHELOR’S DEGREE OR HIGHER MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME PERSONS IN POVERTY, PERCENT
increasing apprenticeship programs, internships and on-the-job training, the panel said. The age-old mantle of fur- nishing a healthy, positive work envi- ronment remains as important as ever, while the need for fostering a good com- pany brand online and in practice is more signi cant than before.
Heck with LC Sta ng explained the changing demographics of Montana’s labor force, primarily discussing the millennial generation and its unique attributes.
“We’ve trained them to be purposeful and nd work that makes a di erence in this world,” Heck said, referring to the generation of workers between 18 and 35.
“Their generational core values are very di erent. They want to know, ‘What is your company doing to make the planet better? How are you serving your com- munity? How can I be part of that?’ As an employer, you should talk about that.”
Currently across the U.S., 38 percent of the workforce is made up of millenials. By 2025, half of the nation’s workers will be millenials.
“Our generation lives to work. Their generation, the vast majority, they work
FLATHEAD COUNTY
96,165 17.7% 5.8% 70% $226,700 $1,377 $771 28% $46,858 13.6%
MONTANA
1,032,949 17.2% 4.4% 67% $187,600 $1,290 $696 29% $46,766 14.6%
to live,” Nick Moschetti with Flathead Job Service said.
At the same time, there is also a growing number of workers in the Baby Boomer generation retiring and vacating positions, tightening the labor market even further. Nearly 6.5 percent of Mon- tana’s labor force is already over 65 years old, the second-highest share in the U.S. Another 96,000 workers are between 55 and 64 and approaching retirement.
Due to this ood of retirements and worker shortage, economists with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry are forecasting slow job growth in the upcoming years.
The worker shortage is leading to an increase in wages, according to state economists, which is welcome news in a state with historically some of the low- est-paying positions in the nation on average.
Concerns remain about Flathead County’s shift to a majority of service industry and retail positions because those jobs are lower paying on average compared to manufacturing and other industrial positions.
dtabish@ atheadbeacon.com
www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
OCTOBER 26, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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