An January 2011 executive summary of the current laborshed for Webster City, Iowa, which is located in Hamilton County, Iowa.

1. Hamilton
County
Laborshed Analysis
A Study of Workforce Characteristics
Released January 2011

2. Laborshed Studies
A Laborshed is defined as the area or region from which an employment center draws its commuting workers. To
determine the approximate boundaries of the Hamilton County Laborshed area, local employers supplied the ZIP code
listings of where each of their employees reside. This Laborshed analysis addresses underemployment, the availability and
willingness of current and prospective employees to change employment within the workforce, current and desired
occupations, wages, hours worked, and distance willing to commute to work. See contact information on back.
Quick Facts
Total Potential Labor Force: 84,654 (entire Laborshed Area) (Employed - willing to change employment)
Estimated Number of Individuals Very Likely or Somewhat Likely to  11.4% are working multiple jobs
Change or Accept Employment (14,258)
 Currently working an average of 42 hours per
week
 Average age is 45 years old
Employed
 34.8% currently working within the production,
11,819 Unemployed construction, & material handling occupational
670 category followed by 23.2% within the
professional, paraprofessional, & technical
Homemakers occupational category
1,247  Most frequently identified job search sources:
 Internet
Retired www.iowaworkforce.org
522 www.careerbuilder.com
www.monster.com
 Local/Regional newspapers
The Messenger - Fort Dodge
The Daily Freeman-
Journal - Webster City
Employment Status: The Des Moines Register
 76.0% Employed  Local Iowa Workforce Development
 10.4% Unemployed Centers
 6.2% Homemakers, Not Employed  Networking through friends, family, and
 7.4% Retired acquaintances
Underemployment
The underemployed are composed of individuals who are working fewer than 35 hours per week but desire more hours;
who are working at wages equal to or less than the national poverty level; and/or who are working in positions that do not
meet their skill or education levels, or worked for higher wages at previous employment.
 2.7% Inadequate hours (319 people)
 3.5% Mismatch of skills (414 people)
 2.7% Low income (319 people)
 7.4% Total estimated underemployment (875 people)
Individuals may be underemployed for more than one reason, but are counted only once for total estimated underemployment.
Industrial Classification of the Employed
% of # of
Industry
Laborshed Employed
Education 22.3% 14,347
Manufacturing 18.2% 11,709 Survey respondents from the Hamilton
Wholesale & Retail Trade 12.5% 8,042 County Laborshed area were asked to
Public Administration & Government 11.0% 7,077 identify the industry in which they are
Health Care & Social Services 10.2% 6,562
currently working. The largest
concentration of workers are employed in
Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate 6.1% 3,925
the education industry as shown in the
Transportation, Communication, & Utilities 4.5% 2,895
table at left.
Professional Services 4.2% 2,702
Personal Services 3.8% 2,445
Construction 3.8% 2,445
Agriculture 2.6% 1,673
Active Military Duty 0.4% 257
Entertainment & Recreation 0.4% 257

3. Hamilton County Commuting Area
Area Shown t
u
t
u 18
18
CLAY
CLAY PALO ALTO
PALO ALTO KOSSUTH HANCOCK CERRO GORDO
Legend FLOYD CHICKASAW Commuting Statistics
KOSSUTH HANCOCK CERRO GORDO FLOYD CHICKASAW
t
u
t
u 69
69 _
[ Webster City
Interstate The map at the left represents commuting
t
u
Belmond
t
u
Belmond
HUMBOLDT
Goldfield
Goldfield ¦
¨
§
¦
¨
§ 35
35
4-Lane Highway
218
218 patterns into Webster City with the
BUENA VISTA
BUENA VISTA POCAHONTAS
POCAHONTAS
HUMBOLDT
WRIGHT FRANKLIN BUTLER
BREMER
BREMER
concentration per ZIP code represented in the
WRIGHT FRANKLIN
US Highways
BUTLER
Humboldt
Humboldt
Thor
Thor
Clarion
Clarion Galt
Galt
Dows
legend.
Dows
Eagle Grove
Eagle Grove State Highways
Badger Woolstock Popejoy
Badger Woolstock Popejoy
Vincent
Vincent Iowa CountyBLACK HAWK
BLACK HAWK
Those who are willing to change/accept
Fort Dodge
Fort Dodge
Webster City
Blairsburg
Blairsburg
Alden
Alden
employment in the Hamilton County
_
Webster City
[
Iowa Falls
_
[
Iowa Falls
WEBSTER Williams
Knierim WEBSTER Williams
Laborshed area are willing to commute an
t
Moorland Duncombe
u
Knierim Otho
t
Moorland Duncombe
u
Otho
SAC CALHOUN Rockwell City 20
20 Kamrar GRUNDY
average of 22 miles one way for employment
SAC CALHOUN Rockwell City HAMILTON Kamrar HARDIN GRUNDY
HAMILTON HARDIN
t
u
Somers Callender Lehigh
t
Burnside Jewell
u
Somers Callender Burnside Lehigh Jewell
65
Stratford
Stratford
Stanhope
Stanhope
Ellsworth
Ellsworth
65 opportunities.
Dayton Randall
Dayton Randall
t
u
Story City
t
u
Story City
169
169 Boone
Boone
TAMA
TAMA
CARROLL Ames
CARROLL GREENE BOONE Ames
t
u
GREENE BOONE STORY MARSHALL
t
u
STORY MARSHALL
Ames
Ames
Commuter Concentration
30
30
by Place of Residence (per ZIP Code)
Zone 3 (1 - 14)
t
u
t
u
330
330
Zone 2 (15 - 75)
AUDUBON GUTHRIE DALLAS POLK JASPER POWESHIEK
AUDUBON GUTHRIE DALLAS POLK JASPER POWESHIEK
10 Mile Radius Between Rings Zone 1 (76 - 968)
¦
¨
§
¦
¨
§ 80
80
Benefits Currently Offered
Health/Medical The survey provides the respondents an
91.1% opportunity to identify employment benefits
Pension/Retirement
Dental Coverage they currently are offered. The chart at left
Paid Vacation provides the percentage of responses from
63.6% Paid Sick Leave those that are currently employed. The top
Life Insurance nine benefits are shown.
Vision Coverage
46.5% The majority (81.2%) of respondents state
Paid Holidays
37.2% Disability Insurance they are currently sharing the cost of
health/medical insurance premiums with
24.0% 22.1%
20.5% their employer. However, 16.2 percent
13.2% 12.0% indicate their employer pays the entire cost
of insurance premiums.
Education and Median Wage Characteristics by Industry
Education Median Wages
Some Level Undergraduate Salary Non-Salary
Industry Associate
Beyond High Degree or Wages Wages
Degree
School Higher (per year) (per hour)
Agriculture 33.3% 11.1% 0.0% * $14.50
Construction 56.3% 11.8% 5.9% * $17.00
Manufacturing 64.9% 10.5% 28.1% $57,500 $16.50
Transportation, Communication, & Utilities 68.2% 18.2% 31.8% $53,000 $13.25
Wholesale & Retail Trade 72.1% 16.3% 34.9% $41,000 $10.00
Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate 95.0% 15.0% 60.0% $55,000 $14.00
Health Care & Social Services 90.0% 22.5% 37.5% $60,000 $12.00
Personal Services 64.5% 7.7% 15.4% * $5.00
Entertainment & Recreation * * * * *
Professional Services 75.0% 18.8% 50.0% $50,000 $11.00
Public Administration & Government 81.1% 16.2% 35.1% $54,000 $18.80
Education 90.3% 6.9% 76.3% $60,500 $11.85
This table includes all respondents without consideration of employment status or willingness to change/enter employment.
*Insufficient survey data/refused

4. Unemployed - Those Willing to Enter/Re-enter Employment
 An estimated 670 unemployed individuals are willing to accept
employment 56.7% 56.7%
 Average age is 48 years old
 51.6% are male; 48.4% are female
Internet
Local IWD Offices
 Education:
 61.3% have an education beyond high school
 3.2% have vocational training 46.7%
Unemployed Job Search Sources
 25.8% have an associate degree
Local Newspapers
 19.3% have an undergraduate degree
 3.2% have a postgraduate/professional degree
 Estimated wage range to attract the upper 66-75% qualified hourly wage
applicants is $12.00 to $15.00/hr. with a median of the lowest wage of
$10.00
 Willing to commute an average of 21 miles one way for the right
opportunity
Private Employment Services
 77.4% expressed interest in temporary and 67.7% in seasonal
employment opportunities
Regional Newspapers
 51.6% expressed interest in working varied shifts (2nd, 3rd & split)
 Would prefer to enter employment that offers the following benefits: 20.0%
 Health/medical insurance
 Pension/retirement options
Networking
 Paid vacation
 Dental coverage
 Life insurance
 Vision coverage
6.7% 6.7%
 Paid holidays
 Disability insurance
 Prescription drug coverage
 Paid sick leave
 63.2% indicated they are seeking employment offers where the
employer/employee share the cost of medical insurance premiums.
Sponsored in Partnership with
For more information regarding the Hamilton County Laborshed Analysis, contact:
Hamilton County S.E.E.D. Webster City Economic Development
P.O. Box 474 P.O. Box 217
Webster City, IA 50595 Webster City, IA 50595
Phone: 515-832-9575 Phone: 515-832-9151
Email: hamcseed@wmtel.net Email: info@buildwebstercity.com
www.develop.hamiltoncountyiowa.com www.buildwebstercity.com
This information is analyzed and compiled by the
Iowa Workforce Development
Labor Market & Workforce Information Division
Regional Research & Analysis Bureau
1000 E. Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50319
(515) 281-7505
www.iowaworkforce.org