Workforce Profile

Between 1985 and 1995, Winchester-Frederick County gained over 12,300 jobs in all categories, an increase of over 47%. Since 1990, employment has increased by 4,600 jobs which is an increase of over 13%.

Growing Workforce

Within 30 miles			238,600; 49% male and 51% female. 
Within Winchester-Frederick Co.	44,021 
In-commuting from other states 	Up 139% in the decade.

Source: State Data Centers LAUS reports & US Census.

Unemployment (1996 Avg) 	4.1% versus 4.2% for Virginia

Source: State Data Centers LAUS reports.

Balanced Workforce

Our workforce has a balance of production, distribution, and support services.

Construction	          2,154	       5.3%
Manufacturing	         10,279	      25.4%
Transportation	          1,362        3.4%
Trade-Wholesale	          2,679	       6.6%
Trade-Retail	          8,287	      20.5%
Fin, Ins, RE	          1,109	       2.7%
Services	          9,923	      24.5%
Government	          3,965	       9.8%
Other		            742	       1.8%

Source: Virginia Employment Commission ES202 Report for 1996.

Right to Work

Winchester-Frederick County is the northernmost Right-to-Work community east of the Mississippi River. Of Winchester-Frederick County's 130 manufacturers only eight have contracts with any union. These unions (five) represent only one or a few trades and involve a very small number of people. In the last 9 years, there were only 9 petitions and 5 elections. The latest result was 2 to 1 against a union.

Moderate Cost

Typical wages from 1997 Compensation Survey are:

			Industry rate	Rate range	Average
Electrician, Maint.	9.18-19.50	9.18-19.50	13.70
Mechanic, maintenance	6.50-29.08	6.50-29.08	14.76
Forklift Truck Oper.	5.50-10.30	5.50-10.30	 7.19
Supervisor, Prod. 	8.39-28.47	8.39-41.90	15.41

Source: Survey of Compensation by Society for Human Resource Management and Winchester-Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.

Workers' Compensation and Unemployment Insurance for 1995 were lowest in USA for fourth year in a row; $2.40 per $100 of payroll vs $5.39 per $100 for USA.

Source: VA Dept of Economic Development Research Department.

A Progressive Workforce

TQM, SPC, and ISO 9000 are spoken here. Companies such as General Electric, Rubbermaid, Green Bay Packaging, Kraft Foods, O'Sullivan and many others utilize the work team concept as an accustomed way of doing business. Lord Fairfax Community College teaches TQM.

Employers rate workers' productivity "8 to 10" on scale of one to ten (best).

Source: Economic Development Commission Existing Industry Call Team Reports.

Education

Over 70% high school or better in the 1990 Census.
18.8% hold a college degree or higher.
In a recent pre-employment screening of over 1,600 applicants for medium to low skill positions, 70% scored 10th grade or above in The Adult Basic Education (TABE) test battery (language, math, and reading).
Students in Winchester and Frederick County regularly score above state and national averages in TAP and SAT scores.

Employment and Unemployment

Labor Market
Measured by a radius, the workforce within 30 miles of Winchester is 238,600 people (1996 avg.). Measured by the actual drawing area, the workforce in the region from which workers in-commute is 346,500.

The Winchester-Frederick County labor market comprises:

The official Virginia Employment Commission "Winchester Labor Market Area (LMA)" comprising the City of Winchester and County of Frederick, and Hampshire County WV.

Additional workers are then drawn from the counties of the Lord Fairfax Planning District to the south; and to the north along Interstate 81.

Along I-81, QUADCO, the four-county alliance of Winchester and Frederick, plus Berkeley County WV, Washington County MD, and Franklin County PA share workforce. These counties include the population centers of Martinsburg, Hagerstown, and Chambersburg.

The balance of the workforce is drawn mostly from other counties of West Virginia and Maryland particularly to the west of I-81.

Employment
Between 1985 to 1995, Winchester-Frederick County gained 12,374 new jobs in all categories, an increase of over 47 percent. There were 38,659 jobs in Winchester and Frederick County in 1995 as measured by the Virginia Employment Commission. Winchester and Frederick County had 44,021 workers (1996 avg.). This means there are at least 5,400 more workers in Winchester and Frederick County than there are jobs.

Unemployment
Specifically within Winchester and Frederick County, unemployment over the two most recent major recessions reflects patterns similar to those of the Commonwealth and the nation.

In 1991 & 1992, unemployment surged somewhat ahead of the USA and Virginia, due to the collapse of the DC construction market which employed many residents of Winchester-Frederick County. Since then, Winchester-Frederick County's unemployment rate has remained at or below the Commonwealth. Unemployment rates within the Winchester Labor Market Area (30 mile radius), are typically higher than Winchester and Frederick County. For comparison, average annual unemployment rates for 1996 are 4.1% for the Winchester Labor Market Area; 5.1% for Berkeley County, WV; 4.5% for Shenandoah County, VA; and 5.0% for Washington County, MD.

Commuting patterns
Home- to-work commutes lengthened from the 1980 to the 1990 Census, stretching to an average of nearly 30 minutes. This explains in part the 86% increase of incommuters to work in Winchester-Frederick County including a 140% increase of incommutes from out of state.

Sources: Virginia Employment Commission, Maryland Department of Economic and Employment Development, West Virginia Bureau of Employment Programs, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry US Bureau of Census 1980 and 1990.

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