PCRD Snapshot - https://www.pcrd.purdue.edu/

1. Data SnapShot Series 1.1
March 2016
DATA SNAPSHOT
Steuben County

2. Table of contents
Introduction
01
Demography
02
Economy
03
Labor Market
04

3. Purpose
About Steuben County
01
introduction

4. 4
Purpose
This document provides information
and data about Steuben County that
can be used to guide local decision-
making activities.
The Data SnapShot showcases a variety
of demographic, economic and labor
market information that local leaders,
community organizations and others can
use to gain a better perspective on
current conditions and opportunities in
their county.
To strengthen the value and usability of
the information, we showcase the data
using a variety of visual tools, such as
charts, graphs and tables. In addition, we
offer key points about the data as a way
of assisting the user with the interpretation
of the information presented.
Finally, short takeaway messages are
offered at the end of each section in order
to highlight some of the more salient
findings.
Introduction
section 01

5. 5
About Steuben County
Introduction
section 01
County Background
Established 1837
County
Seat
Angola
Area 322 sq. mi.
Neighboring
Counties
Branch, MI
DeKalb, IN
Hillsdale, MI
LaGrange, IN
Noble, IN
Williams, OH
Metropolitan Status Micropolitan
(Non-Metro)

6. Population change
Population pyramids
Race
Ethnicity
Educational attainment
Takeaways
02
demograph
y

7. 7
33,214
34,185 34,308
34,679
Population change
Components of Population Change, 2000-
2014
TotalChange 488*
Natural Increase 1,587
International Migration 249
Domestic Migration -1,137
The total population is
projected to increase by
1 percent between 2014
and 2020.
Demography
Sources: STATSIndiana, U.S. Census Bureau – 2000 Decennial Census, 2010 Decennial Census, 2014 Estimates, Estimates of the Components of Resident Population Change
section 02
The county’s total population increased by 3 percent
between 2000 and 2014. Natural increase (births minus
deaths over that span of time) was the major contributor to
that expansion, with a gain of nearly 1,600 persons.
Growth due to net international migration also increased by
249 individuals, indicating that the county experienced an
influx of new people from outside the United States. In
contrast, domestic migration (the difference between the
number of people moving into the county versus moving
out) registered a net loss of 1,137 individuals in Steuben
County between 2000 and 2014.
Total population
projections
2000 2010 2014 2020
*Total change in population differs from the sum of the components due to Census estimation techniques. Residuals (not reported here) make up the difference.

8. 8
5.4%
7.3%
6.8%
5.3%
6.6%
7.6%
6.6%
3.7%
1.5%
5.2%
6.6%
5.8%
5.1%
6.3%
7.4%
6.7%
3.8%
2.4%
9 6 3 0 3 6 9
0-9
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+
Percent of Total PopulationAgeCohort
7.2%
7.9%
7.3%
7.4%
7.6%
6.1%
3.8%
2.3%
1.0%
6.8%
7.2%
5.9%
7.2%
7.4%
6.0%
4.0%
3.1%
1.9%
9 6 3 0 3 6 9
0-9
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+
Percent of Total Population
AgeCohort
Population pyramids
Population pyramids are visual representations of the age distribution of the population by
gender.
Approximately 49.5% of the population was female in
2000 (16,443 people) and that percentage remained about
the same in 2014.What did change is the distribution of
people across the various age categories. A larger share of
people shifted into the higher age groupings over the 2000
to 2014 time period.
Demography
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – 2000 Decennial Census and 2014 Annual Population Estimates
section 02
People 50 and over increased from 28.2% to 39.7% between
2000 and 2014. Individuals of prime working age (20 to 49)
dipped from 42.8% to 35.9%, with large losses among males
and females in the 30 to 39 years old age grouping between
2000 and 2014.There was also a loss of youth (under 20) in the
county (29.1% to 24.5%, respectively).
Male Female
20142000
Male Female

9. 9
White
97%
Other
3%
Black, 0.9%
Asian, 0.6%
Native, 0.4%
Two or More
Races, 1.0%
White
98%
Other
2%
Black, 0.4%
Asian, 0.4%
Native, 0.4%
Two or More
Races, 0.6%
Race
The proportion of non-White residents
grew by two-thirds in Steuben County
between 2000 and 2014, although they
remain a small part of the overall
population.
Every race experienced a numerical increase over
the time period. Of the non-White races, the
county had the most growth in individuals
identifying themselves as Black (+162) orTwo or
More Races (+145). Proportionally, these two
races also gained the most, with a 120 percent
and 78.4 percent increases, respectively.
The White population grew by 700 residents
between 2000 and 2014, a small 2.1 percent
increase.
Demography
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – 2000 Decennial Census and 2014 Annual Population Estimates
section 02
2000
2014
Note: The Native category includes
American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native
Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders.

10. 10
Ethnicity
Hispanics are individuals of any
race whose ancestry is from
Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba,
Spain, the Dominican Republic
or any other Spanish-speaking
Central or South American
country.
There were 683 Hispanics residing
in SteubenCounty in 2000.This
figure expanded to 1,113 by 2014, a
63 percent increase.
Due to this numeric increase, the
proportion of Hispanics in the
population is now around 3 percent.
Demography
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – 2000 Decennial Census and 2014 Annual Population Estimates
section 02
3%
2%
Hispanics - 2000
Hispanics - 2014

11. 11
No High
School, 16%
High School,
43%
Some
College,
20%
Associate's
Degree, 6%
Bachelor's
Degree or
More, 16%
Educational attainment
SteubenCounty had a 7 percentage point
increase in the number of adults (25 and
older) with an associate’s degree or
higher between 2000 to 2014.
The proportion of adults 25 years of age and
older with a high school education or more
improved from 84 percent in 2000 to 89
percent by 2014.Those with a high school
degree only fell from 43 percent in 2000 to 38
percent in 2014.
Adults with a college degree increased from
22 percent in 2000 to 29 percent in 2014.This
was due to a 3 percentage point increase in
the proportion of residents with associate’s
degrees (6 percent versus 9 percent), while
the proportion of adults with at least a
bachelor's degree increased from 16 percent
to 20 percent, a 4 percentage point growth.
.
Demography
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – 2000 Decennial Census and 2014 ACS
section 02
2000
2014
No High
School, 11%
High School,
38%
Some
College,
22%
Associate's
Degree, 9%
Bachelor's
Degree or
More, 20%

12. 12
Takeaways
The population of SteubenCounty is expected to
grow over the next few years, and if past trends
hold, that increase will be largely be due to
natural increase (more births than deaths).
In examining the composition of Steuben
County’s population, one finds an aging
population.The number of residents 50 years of
age or older increased by 11 percentage points
between 2000 and 2014. Additionally, the
number of men and women of prime working age
(20 to 49) has been slowly declining. In fact, the
county witnessed a significant loss of residents in
the 30 to 39 years old age grouping between 2000
and 2014, possibly due to domestic out-migration
(people moving out of the county for other U.S.
locations).
Though the racial and ethnic diversity of Steuben
County has increased since 2000, it remains
primarily White and non-Hispanic.
The educational attainment of adults 25 and over
has improved since 2000, but the proportion of
adults with a high school education or less
represents about half of the county’s adult
population.Assessing whether local economic
development opportunities might be impeded by
the presence of a sizable number of adults with a
terminal high school degree or less may be helpful.
About 29 percent of SteubenCounty’s adult
residents have an associate’s, bachelor’s or higher
degree, a figure that is only 3 percentage points
below the figure for the state of Indiana as a whole.
Steuben County may wish to assess the
workforce skills of workers with a high school
education only. Enhancing their skills so that
they meet the current and emerging needs of
local businesses and industries may be a
worthy investment.
Demography
section 02

13. Establishments
Industries
Occupations
Income and poverty
Takeaways
03
economy

14. 14
Establishments
Components of Change for Establishments
Total Change (2000-13) 592
Natural Change (births minus
deaths)
552
Net Migration 40
The number of establishments in Steuben
County increased by 31 percent from 2000 to
2013.
The rapid growth of establishments was largely due
to natural change.That is, 2,960 establishments were
launched in the county between 2000 and 2013, while
2,408 closed, resulting in a gain of 552
establishments.There was a small gain of 40
establishments due to net migration.
Economy
Source: National Establishment Time Series (NETS) – YourEconomy.org
section 03
An establishment is a
physical business location.
Branches, standalones and
headquarters are all
considered types of
establishments.
Definition of Company
Stages
0 1
2 3
4
Self-
employed
2-9
employees
10-99
employees
100-499
employees
500+
employees

15. 15
Number of establishments by
stage/employment category
Economy
Source: National Establishment Time Series (NETS) – YourEconomy.org
section 03
2000 2013
Stage Establishments Proportion Establishments Proportion
Stage 0 483 25% 591 24%
Stage 1 1,067 56% 1,530 61%
Stage 2 305 16% 337 14%
Stage 3 44 2% 36 1%
Stage 4 0 0% 1 0%
Total 1,899 100% 2,495 100%
The NETS Database is derived from the Dun & Bradstreet archival national establishment data, a population of known establishments in
the United States that is quality controlled and updated annually. Establishments include both private and public sector business units and
range in size from one employee (i.e., sole-proprietors and self-employed) to several thousand employees.
*ReferenceUSA indicates two Stage 4 firms in 2013, whereas NETS shows only one
Stage 4 firm. Additional information is available on the next slide.

16. 16
Top five employers in 2015
Economy
Source: ReferenceUSA (Infogroup)
section 03
Establishment Stage
1. Rieke Corporation Stage 4
2. TI Group Automotive Systems Stage 4
3. Tenneco, Inc. Stage 3
4. Cameron Memorial Hospital Stage 3
5. Miller Poultry Stage 3
The largest employers produce a mix of
regional, national and global goods and
services.
Rieke Corporation in Hamilton is the largest
establishment-level employer in Steuben
County.They are global producers of drum,
can and dispensing products.
TI Group Automotive andTenneco supply
automotive parts used nationally and globally.
Cameron Memorial Hospital is a regional
medical provider and Miller Poultry is a
national level processed chicken provider.
Information on the top five establishments by employment comes from ReferenceUSA. ReferenceUSA is a library database service provided
by Infogroup, the company that also supplies the list of major employers for Hoosiers by the Numbers. While both NETS and ReferenceUSA
contain establishments, differences in data collection processes result in discrepancies between the two sources. We use NETS for a broad
picture of establishments in the county, while ReferenceUSA is used for studying individual establishments.

17. 17
Number of jobs by stage/employment
category
Economy
Source: National Establishment Time Series (NETS) – YourEconomy.org
section 03
2000 2013
Stage Jobs* Proportion Jobs* Proportion
Stage 0 483 2% 591 3%
Stage 1 3,954 20% 4,805 22%
Stage 2 7,519 38% 8,481 39%
Stage 3 7,840 40% 7,140 33%
Stage 4 0 0% 500 2%
Total 19,796 100% 21,517 100%
*Includes both full-time and part-time jobs

18. 18
Amount of sales (2013 dollars) by
stage/employment category
Economy
Source: National Establishment Time Series (NETS) – YourEconomy.org
section 03
2000 2013
Stage Sales Proportion Sales Proportion
Stage 0 $60,585,826 2% $43,587,339 2%
Stage 1 $587,497,345 21% $369,705,480 21%
Stage 2 $1,070,889,431 38% $668,819,697 38%
Stage 3 $1,096,226,643 39% $682,128,168 38%
Stage 4 $0 0% $8,764,100 0%
Total $2,815,199,246 100% $1,773,004,784 100%

19. 19
Manufacturing
25.8%
Retail Trade
12.2%
Government
8.3%
Accommodation &
Food Services
8.1%
Health Care &
Social Assistance
7.2%
All Other
Industries
38.4%
Top five industries in 2014
61.6 percent of jobs are tied to
one of the top five industries in
Steuben County.
Manufacturing is the largest industry
sector (5,120 jobs). Health Care & Social
Assistance is the smallest of the top
industry sectors with 1,427 jobs.
Four of the top five industries in Steuben
lost jobs between 2002 and 2014. Of
these, Manufacturing lost the largest
proportion (-15.9 percent).
Accommodation & Food Services
experienced the smallest decrease, with
a 1.9 percent decline in jobs over the
time period.The one industry that grew -
- Health Care & SocialAssistance –
expanded by over 46 percent.
Economy
Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – 2014.4 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors
section 03

20. 20
Industry distribution and change
NAICS
Code
Description
Jobs
2002
Jobs
2014
Change
(2002-2014)
% Change
(2002-2014)
Average Total
Earnings
2014
11 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting 722 751 29 4% $26,802
21 Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction 11 23 12 109% $13,995
22 Utilities 63 61 -2 -3% $80,490
23 Construction 842 836 -6 -1% $37,998
31-33 Manufacturing 6,085 5,120 -965 -16% $49,789
42 Wholesale Trade 426 299 -127 -30% $52,581
44-45 Retail Trade 2,692 2,428 -264 -10% $23,300
48-49 Transportation & Warehousing 446 795 349 78% $54,585
51 Information 100 106 6 6% $52,798
52 Finance & Insurance 447 510 63 14% $41,241
53 Real Estate & Rental & Leasing 463 697 234 51% $21,236
54 Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 419 410 -9 -2% $38,004
55 Management of Companies and Enterprises 13 <10 - - -
56 Administrative & Waste Management 523 1,101 578 111% $29,573
61 Educational Services (Private) 438 846 408 93% $33,800
62 Health Care & Social Assistance 977 1,427 450 46% $32,986
71 Arts, Entertainment & Recreation 160 200 40 25% $15,944
72 Accommodation and Food Services 1,629 1,598 -31 -2% $14,277
81 Other Services (except Public Administration) 829 973 144 17% $21,723
90 Government 1,697 1,656 -41 -2% $40,395
99 Unclassified Industry <10 0 <10 -100% $0
All Total 18,984 19,843 859 5% $35,667
Economy
Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – 2014.4 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors
section 03Note: Average total earnings include wages, salaries, supplements and earnings from
investments and proprietorships. Industries and occupations with a value of <10 have insufficient data for change and earnings calculations.

21. 21
Industry distribution and change
The largest percentage gains in
employment in Steuben County
occurred in:
 Administrative andWaste
Management Services (+110.5
percent)
 Mining,Quarrying, andOil and Gas
Extraction (+109.1 percent)
The largest percentage losses in
employment occurred in:
 WholesaleTrade (-29.8 percent)
 Manufacturing (-15.9 percent)
Economy
Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – 2014.4 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors
section 03
Employment Increase Employment Decrease
Industries with the largest gains and losses
in employment numbers between 2002 &
2014:
Administrative &
Waste Management
(+578)
HealthCare & Social
Assistance
(+450)
Manufacturing
(-965)
RetailTrade
(-264)
WholesaleTrade
(-127)

22. 22
Production
18.9%
Sales & Related
13.5%
Office &
Administrative
Support
10.9%
Food Preparation
& Serving Related
8.2%
Transportation &
Material Moving
8.0%
All Other
Occupations
40.6%
Top five occupations in 2014
The top five occupations in
Steuben County represent 59.4
percent of all jobs.
Production (3,751 jobs) is the top
occupation classification in Steuben
County.The smallest of the top
occupations isTransportation & Material
Moving with 1,584 jobs.
All five top occupations in SteubenCounty,
except Production (-12.4 percent), had an
increase in jobs between 2002 and 2014.
Transportation & Material Moving
occupations gained the largest proportion
(+25.8 percent), while Office &
Administrative Support occupations grew
the slowest (+0.9 percent) over the time
period.
Economy
Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – 2014.4 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors
section 03

23. 23
SOC Description
Jobs
2002
Jobs
2014
Change
(2002-2014)
% Change
(2002-2014)
Hourly
Earnings 2014
11 Management 1,416 1,457 41 3% $22.04
13 Business & Financial Operations 524 585 61 12% $22.15
15 Computer & Mathematical 150 158 8 5% $24.11
17 Architecture & Engineering 323 256 -67 -21% $25.65
19 Life, Physical & Social Science 45 56 11 24% $26.12
21 Community & Social Service 166 208 42 25% $16.68
23 Legal 69 68 -1 -1% $29.76
25 Education, Training & Library 633 758 125 20% $20.77
27 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports & Media 268 309 41 15% $13.49
29 Health Care Practitioners & Technical 444 577 133 30% $26.12
31 Health Care Support 230 341 111 48% $11.03
33 Protective Service 275 303 28 10% $15.71
35 Food Preparation & Serving Related 1,564 1,623 59 4% $9.00
37 Building & Grounds Cleaning Maintenance 488 597 109 22% $9.47
39 Personal Care & Service 480 635 155 32% $8.94
41 Sales & Related 2,558 2,677 119 5% $12.06
43 Office & Administrative Support 2,136 2,156 20 1% $12.92
45 Farming, Fishing & Forestry 76 106 30 39% $11.09
47 Construction & Extraction 707 711 4 1% $15.85
49 Installation, Maintenance & Repair 745 754 9 1% $17.42
51 Production 4,280 3,751 -529 -12% $13.67
53 Transportation & Material Moving 1,259 1,584 325 26% $15.19
55 Military 110 114 4 4% $16.39
99 Unclassified 39 59 20 51% $13.82
All Total 18,984 19,843 859 5% $14.89
Occupation distribution and change
Economy
Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – 2014.4 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors
section 03

24. 24
Occupation distribution and change
Economy
Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – 2014.4 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors
section 03
The largest percentage gains in
employment in Steuben County
occurred in:*
 Health Care Support (+48.3 percent)
 Farming, Fishing & Forestry (+39.5
percent)
The largest percentage loss in
employment occurred in:
 Architecture & Engineering (-20.7
percent)
 Production (-12.4 percent)
Occupations with the largest gains and
losses in employment numbers between
2002 & 2014:
Transportation &
Material Moving
(+325)
Personal Care &
Service
(+155)
Production
(-529)
Architecture &
Engineering
(-67)
Employment Increase Employment Decrease
* Unclassified occupations was the category with the largest percentage gains in the
county with a 51.3 percent increase.

25. 25
Income and poverty
2002 2007 2014
Total Population in
Poverty
8.3% 11.6% 12.8%
Minors (up to age 17)
in Poverty
10.0% 16.3% 19.3%
Real Median Household
Income (2014)*
$54,575 $52,698 $50,078
Real Per Capita Income
(2014)*
$32,285 $32,980 $36,000
The median household income
in Steuben County dipped by
$4,500 between 2002 and 2014
in real dollars (that is, adjusted
for inflation), while average
income per person rose by
$3,700 in real dollars over the
same time period.
The total population in poverty
increased by 4.5 percentage points
between 2002 and 2014, but the
number of minors in poverty
increased by more than twice that
amount. Nearly one in five minors
was living in poverty by 2014.
Economy
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis – Regional Personal Income Summary
section 03
*Real median household income is the middle income value in the county. Half of the county’s households fall
above this line and half below. Real per capita personal income is the average income per person in the county.

26. 26
0
5
10
15
20
25
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
PopulationinPoverty(percent)
RealIncomein2014(dollars)
Median Household Income
Minors in Poverty
All Ages in Poverty
Per Capita Income
Income and poverty
Median household income in Steuben County declined between 2000 and 2013 but has shown
some improvement since 2013. Per capita income has been fairly constant since 2001, improving
modestly after 2009. Poverty rates for adults and minors have stabilized over the past couple years,
although the rates remain high relative to 2000.
Economy
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis – Regional Personal Income Summary
section 03

27. 27
Takeaways
Growth in the number of establishments in
Steuben County occurred mainly in
businesses having fewer than 10 employees
(the self-employed and Stage 1 enterprises),
components of the local economy that are
often overlooked by local leaders.
SteubenCounty might consider focusing on
economic development efforts that seek to
strengthen high-growth Stage 1 and 2
establishments since they employ several people
and capture sizable sales, although these sales have
suffered in recent years.
Real median income has gradually decreased in
SteubenCounty, despite growth in real per capita
income.This, in conjunction with increased poverty
rates, indicates a growing income imbalance in the
county since 2000.While poverty rates have
stabilized since 2011, they remain relatively high,
especially among minors.
The gradual decline in real median income
experienced in SteubenCounty between 2000 and
2014 may be tied to employment changes.While
the largest employment gains and losses were in
industries and occupations with moderate pay,
there is a $20,000 per year gap between the
Manufacturing industry jobs lost ($50,000 yearly)
and theAdministrative &Waste and Health Care &
SocialAssistance industry jobs gained ($30,000 and
$33,000 yearly, respectively). Similarly, moderate-
paying jobs in Production ($14 per hour) were lost,
while moderate-payingTransportation & Material
Moving ($15 per hour) and low-paying Personal Care
& Service ($9 per hour) jobs grew.
No doubt, the ability of SteubenCounty to capture
high paying jobs will depend on the availability of a
well-trained and educated workforce, something
that may be possible in light of the growing
percentage of adults in the county with an
associate’s degree or higher. Ensuring that a skilled
workforce is available to support the key industries
in the county will be important to the economic
stability of the county.
Economy
section 03

28. Labor force and
unemployment
Workforce
inflow/outflow
Commuter shed
Labor shed
Takeaways
04
labor
market

29. 29
2002 2007 2014
Labor Force 17,218 16,494 19,930
Unemploymen
t Rate
6.5% 6.0% 5.0%
Labor force and unemployment
The labor force in Steuben County
increased by 15.8 percent between
2002 and 2014.
This increase could be due to a greater influx
of adults that were previously discouraged
workers now coming back to the workforce.
At the same time, there was a 1.5
percentage point decrease in the
unemployment rate, possibly due to an
increase in the number of jobs available in
the county.
Labor market
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Local Area Unemployment Statistics (2014 Annual Data Release)
section 04

30. 30
Unemployment rate
Unemployment increased dramatically after 2007, peaking at 14.5 percent in 2009. Since
that time, the rate has been on a steady decline, dipping to 5.0 percent by 2014.
Labor market
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Local Area Unemployment Statistics (2014 Annual Data Release)
section 04
3.1%
6.5%
5.9%
6.4%
6.0%
14.5%
5.0%
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
UnemploymentRate(percent)

31. 31
Steuben County has slightly more
laborers traveling out of the county for
work than into the county for work.
Net commuting is negative, with a loss of 232
commuters.The resulting situation is that for
every 100 employed residents, Steuben
County has 98 jobs.
Workforce inflow and outflow in 2013
Labor market
section 04
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OTM, LEHD, PCRD
Count
Proportio
n
Employed in Steuben
County
14,277 100%
Both employed and living
in the county
7,305 51%
Employed in the county
but living outside
6,972 49%
Living in Steuben County 14,509 100%
Both living and employed
in the county
7,305 50%
Living in the county but
employed outside
7,204 50%
6,972 7,204
7,305

32. 32
Commuter shed
A county’s commuter shed is the
geographic area to which its resident
labor force travels to work.
Half of employed residents in Steuben
County commute to jobs located outside of
the county. Allen County is the biggest
destination for residents who work outside
of SteubenCounty.
Twenty-one percent of out-commuters
work in counties adjacent to Steuben
County. However, the largest and third
largest work destinations outside of
SteubenCounty are the FortWayne (Allen
County) and Elkhart-Goshen (Elkhart
County) metropolitan areas, respectively.
Labor market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD)
section 04
7,204
Out-Commuters
7,305
Same Work/
Home
Commuters Proportion
Allen, IN 2,013 13.9%
DeKalb, IN 1,565 10.8%
Elkhart, IN 811 5.6%
Noble, IN 560 3.9%
LaGrange, IN 498 3.4%

33. 33
Commuter shed in 2013
Labor market
section 04
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OTM, LEHD, PCRD
Seventy-five percent of Steuben
County’s working residents are
employed either in Allen, DeKalb
or Steuben Counties. Another 10
percent commute to jobs in
Elkhart or Noble Counties.
Collectively, these five counties
represent 85 percent of the
commuter shed for Steuben
County.

34. 34
Labor shed
Commuters Proportion
DeKalb, IN 1,019 7.1%
Branch, MI 810 5.7%
Allen, IN 688 4.8%
LaGrange, IN 544 3.8%
Noble, IN 423 3.0%
Labor market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD)
section 04
6,972
In-Commuters
7,305
Same Work/
Home
A county’s labor shed is the
geographic area from which it draws
employees.
Forty-nine percent of individuals working
in SteubenCounty commute from another
county.
Twenty-four percent of in-commuters
reside in counties adjacent to Steuben
County, and four of the five top counties in
the labor shed are adjacent counties. Of
these counties, DeKalb County is the
largest source of labor outside of Steuben
County, while Noble County is the smallest.

35. 35
Labor shed in 2013
Labor market
section 04
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OTM, LEHD, PCRD
The bulk (75 percent) of Steuben
County’s workforce is drawn from
Allen, DeKalb, LaGrange or Steuben
Counties in Indiana or Branch
County, Michigan. Another 5 percent
is drawn from Noble County,
Indiana, Hillsdale County, Michigan,
or Williams County, Ohio. An
additional 5percent reside in
Elkhart, St. Joseph and Marion
Counties in Indiana or Lenawee and
St. Joseph Counties in Michigan.
Combined, the 13 counties represent
85 percent of Steuben County’s
labor shed.

36. 36
Takeaways
The Great Recession that impacted the U.S.
economy between 2007 and 2009 took a major toll
on the SteubenCounty’s unemployment rate.
While the rate was quite low in 2000, it more than
quadrupled to 14.5 percent by 2009. Recent
figures confirm that the unemployment rate has
improved significantly since that time.
The county’s labor force has grown since 2002.
This may be a natural increase due to population
growth. It is also possible that an increasing
number of unemployed individuals who were
discouraged workers have reentered the labor
market and begun looking for a job. Despite a
growing labor force, the unemployment rate has
continued to drop.This indicates that jobs have
grown at a faster rate than the labor force has in
the county. In fact, since 2010, employment has
grown at a faster pace than has the population in
the county.
Approximately half of SteubenCounty residents in
the workforce are gainfully employed outside of the
county.This represents a tremendous loss of human
talent that is unavailable to contribute to the social
and economic vitality of the county. It may be
worthwhile for local leaders and industries to
determine the human capital attributes of workers
who commute to jobs outside the county. By so
doing, they could be positioned to determine how
best to reduce the leakage of educated and skilled
workers to surrounding counties. Of course, this will
require expansion in the number of good paying
jobs that will help keep these workers in their home
county.
The labor shed and commuter shed data
offer solid evidence of the value of pursuing
economic and workforce development on a
regional (multi-county) basis.
Labor market
section 04

37. 37
Notes
LAUS (Local Area Unemployment Statistics):
LAUS is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) program that
provides monthly and annual labor force, employment and
unemployment data by place of residence at various geographic
levels. LAUS utilizes statistical models to estimate data values
based on household surveys and employer reports. These
estimates are updated annually. Annual county-level LAUS
estimates do not include seasonal adjustments.
LEHD (Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics):
LEHD is a partnership between U.S. Census Bureau and State
Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to provide labor
market and journey to work data at various geographic levels.
LEHD uses Unemployment Insurance earnings data and
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages from DWDs and
census administrative records related to individuals and
businesses.
SAIPE (SmallArea Income and Poverty Estimates):
SAIPE is a U.S. Census Bureau program that provides annual
data estimates of income and poverty statistics at various
geographic levels. The estimates are used in the administration
of federal and state assistance programs. SAIPE utilizes
statistical models to estimate data from sample surveys, census
enumerations and administrative records.
OTM (On the Map):
OTM, a product of LEHD program, is used in the county
snapshot report to develop commuting patterns for a
geography from two perspectives: place of residence and place
of work. At the highly detailed level of census blocks, some of
the data are synthetic to maintain confidentiality of the
worker. However, for larger regions mapped at the county
level, the commuter shed and labor shed data are fairly
reasonable.
OTM includes jobs for a worker employed in the reference as
well as previous quarter. Hence, job counts are based on two
consecutive quarters (six months) measured at the “beginning
of a quarter.” OTM data can differ from commuting patterns
developed from state annual income tax returns, which asks a
question about “county of residence” and “county of work” on
January 1 of the tax-year. OTM can also differ from American
Community Survey data, which is based on a sample survey of
the resident population.
YourEconomy.org (YE):
YE, an online tool by the Business Dynamics Research
Consortium at the University of Wisconsin – Extension,
provides data on the employment, sales and number of
establishments at numerous geographic levels in the United
States.
A major data source for YE is the National Establishment Time
Series Database (NETS), an establishment-level database, not
a company-level database. This means that each entry is a
different physical location, and company-level information
must be created by adding the separate establishment
components.

38. 38
Report Contributors
This report was prepared by the Purdue Center for Regional Development in partnership with
Purdue University Extension.
Data Analysis
Indraneel Kumar, Ph.D.
Ayoung Kim
Report Authors
Elizabeth Dobis
Bo Beaulieu, Ph.D.
Report Design
Tyler Wright
It is the policy of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service that all persons have equal opportunity and access to its
educational programs, services, activities, and facilities without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry,
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This material may be available in alternative formats.

39. FOR MORE
INFORMATION
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(PCRD) . . .
seeks to pioneer new ideas and strategies that contribute
to regional collaboration, innovation and prosperity.
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(CD) . . .
works to strengthen the capacity of local leaders, residents
and organizations to work together to develop and sustain
strong, vibrant communities.
Please contact
CrystalVan Pelt
Community Development
Extension Educator
260-668-1000 x1400
cvanpelt@purdue.edu
OR