tompkins county workforce development survey
TOMPKINS COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SURVEY Preliminary Report
Sponsored by The New York State Department of Labor The Workforce Investment Board of Tompkins County
George E. Pataki, Governor Linda Angello, Commissioner New York State Department of Labor
Alan Pedersen, Chair Workforce Investment Board of Tompkins County
June 2003
Available online at www.labor.state.ny.us/pdf/tompkins_wds.pdf
Note: This preliminary report includes the main data and key findings of the Tompkins County Workforce Development Survey, which was conducted in the Spring of 2003. A full report containing an analysis of and commentary on the data will be published shortly.
Direct inquiries to: New York State Department of Labor Division of Research and Statistics Bureau of Labor Market Information 2001 Perimeter Road East, Suite 3 Endicott, New York 13760 Phone (607) 741-4485
PREFACE The Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board asked the New York State Department of Labor to help them meet the employment and training needs of area businesses. This began an enthusiastic partnership between the area’s workforce development system and the Department’s Division of Research and Statistics, the state’s primary producer of labor market information. The Board members required more information about the needs of local employers. Consequently, we surveyed area businesses to garner local information on skill deficiencies, training needs, demand for labor, commuting patterns, and training and recruitment methods as well as to establish an ongoing dialogue with the business community. The survey was based on one previously developed by the Department of Labor and economic development groups in the Hudson Valley Region. Since the survey was conducted in March-April 2003, economic conditions in the Tompkins County region have slowed somewhat, reflecting the national economic downturn. Although these developments may temporarily scale back the number of jobs that local employers expect to fill in the coming year, they are not expected to alter the general findings of the survey, as the vast majority of job openings are due to the need to replace existing workers, rather than growth.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people contributed to the success of this survey. Special thanks to the board members of the Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board who encouraged their business associates to participate. Also, a special thank-you to Jean McPheeters, President and CEO of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, who encouraged her members to participate as well. A special thank-you also goes to Debbie Giordano, Executive Director of the Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board, who coordinated the marketing of the survey. This work improved the survey’s response rate and the reliability of the results. This collaboration will continue. With guidance from the Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board, and in conjunction with the local partners, the Division of Research and Statistics will provide the quality labor market information required to operate a truly effective local workforce development system.
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TABLE 1. DISTRIBUTION OF JOBS BY OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY TOMPKINS COUNTY AND NEW YORK STATE 2001 Percent of total jobs Tompkins New York Occupational category County State All occupations (number) 45,900 8,373,240 Managerial and administrative 6% 9% Professional and technical 40% 22% Sales and related 8% 10% Administrative support 18% 20% Service 13% 19% Agriculture, forestry and fishing 1% * Production/construction/operators/maintenance/materials handling 14% 20% *Less than 0.5%
Key Findings: •
•
Forty percent of the jobs in Tompkins County are professional and technical and 18 percent are administrative support. Occupations in these categories include engineers, scientists, accountants, educators, health professionals, secretaries, clerks, computer operators and bookkeepers. The higher proportion of professional and technical jobs in Tompkins County than in the state as whole reflects the impact educational institutions such as Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins-Cortland Community College have on the local job market.
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TABLE 2. HIRING TRENDS BY OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY TOMPKINS COUNTY During past year Occupational category Total, all occupations Professional, technical, managerial Sales Administrative support Service Blue-collar
Current vacancies
Expected hires during coming year
Percent of Number of Percent of Number of Percent of Total Openings total hires total Number hired 3,948 100% 985 100% 1,904 100% 552 14% 162 16% 205 11% 694 18% 106 11% 387 20% 316 8% 92 9% 120 6% 1,460 37% 448 45% 777 41% 926 23% 177 18% 415 22%
Key Findings: •
Survey respondents hired 3,948 persons during the previous year, had 985 job vacancies at the time of the survey, and planned to hire 1,904 workers in the coming year. • Service occupations accounted for the most current vacancies (448), while administrative support had the fewest (92). • The expected share of hiring in the coming year was highest in service occupations (41 percent), followed by blue-collar occupations (22 percent) and sales occupations (20 percent).
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TABLE 3. PERCENT OF JOB OPENINGS CONSIDERED DIFFICULT TO FILL BY OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY TOMPKINS COUNTY Occupational category During past year Current vacancies Total, all occupations 60% 82% Professional, technical, managerial 72% 88% Sales 54% 75% Administrative support 36% 49% Service 68% 93% Blue-collar 53% 61% Key Findings: • •
A tight labor market was evident, given that 60 percent of jobs were considered difficult to fill within the past year. Professional, technical and managerial jobs were the toughest to fill, while administrative support jobs were the easiest.
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TABLE 4. HIRING TRENDS BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY During past year Occupation Total, all industries Manufacturing Construction & Mining TCPU* Trade FIRE** Services Public administration
Number hired 3,947 298 238 160 1,794 184 1,255 18
Current vacancies
Percent of total 100% 8% 6% 4% 45% 5% 32% ***
Expected hires during coming year
Number Percent Number of Percent of of of total hires total openings 985 100% 1,903 100% 75 8% 177 9% 4% 3% 43 65 10 1% 8 *** 456 46% 970 51% 38 4% 101 5% 351 36% 570 30% 12 1% 12 1%
*TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate *** Less than 0.5% Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
Key Findings: • • •
Almost 1,000 jobs were currently vacant at the time of the survey. Nearly half of these vacancies were concentrated in the trade industry. Of the close to 2,000 hires expected in the coming year, over half will occur in trade.
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TABLE 5. PERCENT OF JOB OPENINGS CONSIDERED DIFFICULT TO FILL BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Industry During past year Current vacancies Total, all industries 60% 82% Manufacturing 19% 55% Construction and mining 73% 100% TCPU* 63% 100% Trade 65% 86% FIRE** 37% 56% Services 65% 81% Public administration 19% 32% *TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: • •
Employers in all industries found it more difficult to fill vacancies at the time of the survey than they did in the year prior to the survey. Employers in construction and mining and TCPU reported that 100 percent of their vacancies were difficult to fill at the time of the survey.
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TABLE 6. EDUCATIONAL/TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR CURRENT VACANCIES BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY
Industry
Total, all industries Manufacturing Construction & mining TCPU* Trade FIRE** Services Public administration
Openings As a percentage of total openings having an education/training requirement with Basic educational Bachelor’s Associate Apprenticeship/ Experience in H.S./ a related social requirement OJT Degree + Degree GED occupation skills 848 75 41 8 413 36 263 12
14% 25% 0% 0% 3% 12% 30% 33%
2% 2% 14% 0% 1% 6% 2% 12%
10% 5% 32% 50% 8% 12% 9% 12%
43% 5% 41% 50% 58% 18% 36% 10%
12% 35% 9% 0% 3% 29% 17% 35%
*TCPU – Transportation, communications and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
Key Findings: •
•
The largest share of employers (43 percent) indicated that their current vacancies required experience in a related occupation, while the smallest percentage (2 percent) required an associate degree. The percentage of manufacturing jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree or further education was much higher than the total for all industries combined (25 percent versus 14 percent), and approached the percentages for services and public administration.
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19% 28% 5% 0% 27% 24% 6% 0%
TABLE 7. EMPLOYERS INDICATING SKILL DEFICIENCIES AMONG APPLICANTS BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Percent of respondents indicating deficiency by skill category Industry Total, all industries Manufacturing Construction & mining TCPU* Trade FIRE** Services Public administration
Basic skills 7% 12% 15% 0% 8% 2% 6% 19%
Social skills 13% 12% 13% 11% 17% 12% 11% 9%
Job-specific skills 20% 31% 30% 17% 18% 23% 18% 19%
*TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: •
Overall, one in five applicants were considered to lack the job-specific skills necessary for the occupations they sought to fill, and the figure rose to almost one in three within the manufacturing industry.
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TABLE 8. PERCENTAGE OF NEW HIRES REQUIRING ADDITIONAL TRAINING BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Total, all industries
Manufacturing
33%
34%
Construction TCPU* Trade FIRE** Services & mining 77%
31%
27%
43%
34%
Public administration 29%
*TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: • •
Overall, one-third of new hires required additional training. The share of new hires who required additional training varied from one-quarter in trade to three-quarters in construction and mining.
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TABLE 9. EMPLOYERS INDICATING SKILL DEFICIENCIES AMONG CURRENT WORKERS BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Percent of respondents indicating deficiency by skill category Industry Total, all industries Manufacturing Construction & mining TCPU* Trade FIRE** Services Public administration
Basic skills
Social skills
Job-specific skills
2% 0% 0% 0% 2% 0% 2% 0%
3% 6% 0% 0% 3% 2% 3% 0%
5% 9% 5% 0% 5% 11% 5% 10%
*TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: •
• •
Five percent of current (incumbent) workers were found to be deficient in job-specific skills, 3 percent of current workers were deficient in social skills, and 2 percent were deficient in basic skills. Employers in finance, insurance and real estate, public administration and manufacturing reported the highest rates of deficiency in job-specific skills. Employers in the manufacturing, trade, and services industries reported the highest rates of deficiency in social skills.
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TABLE 10. TRAINING METHODS USED TOMPKINS COUNTY Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods In-house (on-the-job training) High school Four-year college/university Community college BOCES Private training academy Internet Other Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Union
1,111 1.4 % using method 95% 8% 8% 8% 6% 5% 5% 4% 3% 2%
Key Findings: • •
The vast majority of respondents who identified their training methods used in-house training. The use of high schools, four-year colleges or universities, and community colleges was tied at eight percent.
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TABLE 11. RECRUITMENT METHODS USED TOMPKINS COUNTY Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Local newspaper Networking Walk-ins In-house Workforce NY Center /Department of Labor Four-year college Other Internet Community college High school Private job placement agency BOCES Union Private training academy
1,083 2.7
% using method 57% 44% 41% 36% 15% 13% 11% 11% 10% 9% 9% 8% 2% 2%
Key Findings: • •
Local newspaper advertisements were most frequently used to secure workers (57 percent), followed by networking (44 percent) and walk-ins (41 percent). The Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor was used by 15 percent of respondents.
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TABLE 12. DISTRIBUTION OF JOBS BY JOB HOLDER’S PLACE OF RESIDENCE BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Percentage distribution of workers by residence Industry Tompkins County Rest of NYS Outside NYS Total, all industries 73% 26% 0% Manufacturing 72% 27% 1% Construction and mining 66% 34% 0% TCPU* 75% 25% 0% Trade 78% 22% 0% FIRE** 77% 23% 0% Services 72% 28% 0% Public administration 80% 20% 0% *TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.
Key Findings: • • •
The vast majority of job holders in Tompkins County (73 percent) resided in the county. Outside Tompkins County, Tioga County provided the largest share of workers, 8 percent, followed by Cortland, 5 percent, and Schuyler, 3 percent. By industry, public administration had the highest proportion of workers who resided in Tompkins County (80 percent). Construction and mining had the fewest county residents (66 percent).
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TABLE 13. DISTRIBUTION OF FULL- AND PART-TIME WORKERS BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Industry Full-time workers Part-time workers Total, all industries 66% 34% Manufacturing 82% 18% Construction and mining 91% 9% TCPU* 83% 17% Trade 50% 50% FIRE** 75% 25% Services 66% 34% Public administration 84% 16% *TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: • •
Sixty-six percent of workers in Tompkins County have full-time jobs (35 or more hours per week). Construction and mining had the highest proportion of full-time workers (91 percent), while trade had the lowest (50 percent).
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TABLE 14. DISTRIBUTION OF PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY WORKERS BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Industry Permanent Temporary Total, all industries 96% 4% Manufacturing 93% 7% Construction and mining 77% 23% TCPU* 93% 7% Trade 91% 9% FIRE** 88% 12% Services 97% 3% Public administration 100% 0% *TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: • •
Employers considered more than 9 out of 10 of their employees to be permanent. Permanent workers comprised more than 90 percent of the workforce in all industries except construction and mining and finance, insurance and real estate.
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Appendix A EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES IN GROWING* INDUSTRIES Tompkins County Employment Change 1996 to 2001
Average Weekly Wages 2001 Number Percent
Industry
Educational services (public and private sector) Transportation equipment; and printing, and publishing, and allied industries** Social services (private) Engineering, accounting, research, management, and related services Food stores Executive, legislative, and general government, except finance Business services Eating and drinking places Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, except computer equipment Miscellaneous retail Automotive repair, services, and parking
2,478
16%
$763
792 643
41% 51%
$771 $371
271 175
33% 10%
$828 $283
173 163 148
11% 18% 6%
$548 $720 $199
130 126 121
194% 15% 47%
$968 $340 $566
*Growing industries are those that added 100 or more workers from 1996 to 2001. ** Due to confidentiality requirements, these two industries could not be published separately, and were consequently combined into one category. Source: Unemployment Insurance Covered Employment and Wages Program
Key Findings: •
•
From 1996 to 2001, educational services (2,478), transportation equipment; and printing and publishing, and allied industries (792), and private social services (643) added the most jobs. The highest-paying growth industries included electronic and other electrical equipment and components, except computer equipment ($968 per week) and engineering, accounting, research, management and related services ($828 per week).
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Appendix B MOST BENEFICIAL SKILLS TRAINING Today Number Percent
Skills category
In 1 year or more Number Percent
General skills Problem solving/decision-making Interpersonal/verbal communications Workplace ethics Team building Workplace preparedness Self-directed work teams Written communications Basic grammar, punctuation, spelling, math Workforce diversity Other English as a second language
308 297 267 252 217 182 171 145 100 39 23
44% 42% 38% 36% 31% 26% 24% 21% 14% 6% 3%
277 240 231 224 167 186 160 97 90 42 28
47% 40% 39% 38% 28% 31% 27% 16% 15% 7% 5%
Management and supervisory skills Employee motivation Effective supervisory skills Problem solving/decision-making Team/leadership development Conducting employee appraisals Coaching/counseling Train-the-trainer Conducting meetings Facilitating groups Other
317 289 264 247 185 175 159 83 81 15
55% 51% 46% 43% 32% 31% 28% 15% 14% 3%
237 213 223 212 172 122 128 72 84 14
51% 46% 48% 45% 37% 26% 27% 16% 18% 3%
Computer skills Windows Microsoft Office software HTML Other Auto CAD Visual Basic Java Lotus Notes Pascal C/C++
231 229 68 67 28 18 16 16 16 10
60% 60% 18% 17% 7% 5% 4% 4% 4% 3%
200 179 64 62 55 23 22 19 8 17
61% 54% 19% 19% 17% 6% 7% 6% 2% 5%
Key Findings: • • • •
Although slightly more respondents indicated a need for current training than future training, there was no appreciable difference in the type of training needed. Under general skills, problem solving/decision making, the only program included in more than one major category, was referenced more often than any other skills training. Under management and supervisory skills, employee motivation, effective supervisory skills, problem solving/decision-making, and team/leadership received the most responses for both current and future year training needs. Under computer skills, Windows and Microsoft office software received the most responses for both the current and future year.
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Appendix C RECRUITMENT METHODS OF RESPONDING FIRMS BY INDUSTRY All industries Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Local newspaper Networking Walk-ins In-house Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Four-year college/university Other Internet Community college High school Private job placement agency BOCES Union Private training academy
1,083 2.7 % using method 57% 44% 41% 36% 15% 13% 11% 11% 10% 9% 9% 8% 2% 2%
Manufacturing Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods In-house Local newspaper Walk-ins Networking Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Four-year college/university Internet Private job placement agency Community college Other High school BOCES Private training academy Union
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46 3.6 % using method 61% 52% 49% 44% 25% 25% 25% 21% 15% 15% 13% 8% 4% 0%
Construction and mining Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Networking Walk-ins Local newspaper In-house Union Other BOCES Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Private job placement agency Community college Four-year college/university High school Internet Private training academy
74 2.1 % using method 43% 42% 34% 30% 13% 13% 9% 9% 8% 3% 3% 3% 3% 0%
Transportation, communication and public utilities Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Walk-ins In-house Local newspaper Networking Internet BOCES Community college Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor High school Other Private training academy Union Four-year college/university Private job placement agency
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31 2.8 % using method 56% 38% 38% 31% 19% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 6% 0%
Wholesale and retail trade Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Walk-ins Local newspaper In-house Networking Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Other Internet Private job placement agency High school BOCES Community college Four-year college/university Private training academy Union
324 2.5 % using method 61% 48% 43% 31% 13% 11% 9% 8% 7% 7% 6% 3% 1% 1%
Finance, insurance and real estate Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Local newspaper Networking In-house Walk-ins High school Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Four-year college/university Other Community college Internet Private job placement agency Union BOCES Private training academy
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85 2.6 % using method 67% 65% 21% 20% 18% 15% 12% 12% 11% 7% 5% 2% 0% 0%
Services Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Local newspaper Networking In-house Walk-ins Four-year college/university Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Community college Internet Private job placement agency BOCES Other High school Private training academy Union
512 2.8 % using method 64% 49% 33% 30% 19% 15% 13% 11% 10% 10% 10% 10% 3% 2%
Government Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Local newspaper Networking Walk-ins Four-year college/university Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Internet High school BOCES Private job placement agency Community college In-house Other Private training academy Union
11 4.1 % using method 90% 90% 79% 46% 33% 25% 23% 12% 12% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Key Findings: • • •
Respondents used an average of approximately three recruitment methods. Government agencies used the most methods (4.1), relying chiefly on local newspapers, networking, walk-ins, four-year colleges and universities, and the Department of Labor. Construction and mining firms averaged the fewest methods, 2.1, followed by 2.5 for trade industries, and 2.6 for finance, insurance and real estate.
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APPENDIX D-1 SURVEY SAMPLE AND RESPONSE BY INDUSTRY Tompkins County Number of Universe* Respondents Industry Firms Total, all industries 1,688 Manufacturing 88 Construction & 109 mining TCPU** 50 Trade 510 FIRE*** 153 Services 765 Public administration 13
Employees
firms sampled
Firms
Employees
Respondents’ share of universe employment
39,630 3,517 996
1,376 88 109
574 40 53
23,076 694 588
58% 20% 59%
1,328 6,647 1,423 23,893 1,826
50 395 153 568 13
21 161 61 227 11
291 1,991 435 17,933 1,144
22% 30% 31% 75% 63%
*Universe totals include companies in nonclassified industries. **TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities ***FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: • • • •
A total of 1,376 surveys were mailed. Of these, 76 were sent to large firms and 1,300 were sent to small firms. Of the 76 large firms sampled, 29 (40 percent) responded. Of the 1,300 small firms sampled, 545 (45 percent) responded. The 574 respondents employed 23,076 people, approximately 58 percent of all employees in the survey universe.
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APPENDIX D-2 SURVEY SAMPLE AND RESPONSE BY SIZE OF FIRM Tompkins County Number of firms Size of firm Universe Mailed Responded Response rate surveys (%) Total, all firms 1,688 1,376 574 45% 0 - 49 employees 1,612 1,300 545 45% 50+ employees 76 76 29 40%
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Sponsored by The New York State Department of Labor The Workforce Investment Board of Tompkins County
George E. Pataki, Governor Linda Angello, Commissioner New York State Department of Labor
Alan Pedersen, Chair Workforce Investment Board of Tompkins County
June 2003
Available online at www.labor.state.ny.us/pdf/tompkins_wds.pdf
Note: This preliminary report includes the main data and key findings of the Tompkins County Workforce Development Survey, which was conducted in the Spring of 2003. A full report containing an analysis of and commentary on the data will be published shortly.
Direct inquiries to: New York State Department of Labor Division of Research and Statistics Bureau of Labor Market Information 2001 Perimeter Road East, Suite 3 Endicott, New York 13760 Phone (607) 741-4485
PREFACE The Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board asked the New York State Department of Labor to help them meet the employment and training needs of area businesses. This began an enthusiastic partnership between the area’s workforce development system and the Department’s Division of Research and Statistics, the state’s primary producer of labor market information. The Board members required more information about the needs of local employers. Consequently, we surveyed area businesses to garner local information on skill deficiencies, training needs, demand for labor, commuting patterns, and training and recruitment methods as well as to establish an ongoing dialogue with the business community. The survey was based on one previously developed by the Department of Labor and economic development groups in the Hudson Valley Region. Since the survey was conducted in March-April 2003, economic conditions in the Tompkins County region have slowed somewhat, reflecting the national economic downturn. Although these developments may temporarily scale back the number of jobs that local employers expect to fill in the coming year, they are not expected to alter the general findings of the survey, as the vast majority of job openings are due to the need to replace existing workers, rather than growth.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people contributed to the success of this survey. Special thanks to the board members of the Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board who encouraged their business associates to participate. Also, a special thank-you to Jean McPheeters, President and CEO of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, who encouraged her members to participate as well. A special thank-you also goes to Debbie Giordano, Executive Director of the Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board, who coordinated the marketing of the survey. This work improved the survey’s response rate and the reliability of the results. This collaboration will continue. With guidance from the Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board, and in conjunction with the local partners, the Division of Research and Statistics will provide the quality labor market information required to operate a truly effective local workforce development system.
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TABLE 1. DISTRIBUTION OF JOBS BY OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY TOMPKINS COUNTY AND NEW YORK STATE 2001 Percent of total jobs Tompkins New York Occupational category County State All occupations (number) 45,900 8,373,240 Managerial and administrative 6% 9% Professional and technical 40% 22% Sales and related 8% 10% Administrative support 18% 20% Service 13% 19% Agriculture, forestry and fishing 1% * Production/construction/operators/maintenance/materials handling 14% 20% *Less than 0.5%
Key Findings: •
•
Forty percent of the jobs in Tompkins County are professional and technical and 18 percent are administrative support. Occupations in these categories include engineers, scientists, accountants, educators, health professionals, secretaries, clerks, computer operators and bookkeepers. The higher proportion of professional and technical jobs in Tompkins County than in the state as whole reflects the impact educational institutions such as Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins-Cortland Community College have on the local job market.
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TABLE 2. HIRING TRENDS BY OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY TOMPKINS COUNTY During past year Occupational category Total, all occupations Professional, technical, managerial Sales Administrative support Service Blue-collar
Current vacancies
Expected hires during coming year
Percent of Number of Percent of Number of Percent of Total Openings total hires total Number hired 3,948 100% 985 100% 1,904 100% 552 14% 162 16% 205 11% 694 18% 106 11% 387 20% 316 8% 92 9% 120 6% 1,460 37% 448 45% 777 41% 926 23% 177 18% 415 22%
Key Findings: •
Survey respondents hired 3,948 persons during the previous year, had 985 job vacancies at the time of the survey, and planned to hire 1,904 workers in the coming year. • Service occupations accounted for the most current vacancies (448), while administrative support had the fewest (92). • The expected share of hiring in the coming year was highest in service occupations (41 percent), followed by blue-collar occupations (22 percent) and sales occupations (20 percent).
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TABLE 3. PERCENT OF JOB OPENINGS CONSIDERED DIFFICULT TO FILL BY OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY TOMPKINS COUNTY Occupational category During past year Current vacancies Total, all occupations 60% 82% Professional, technical, managerial 72% 88% Sales 54% 75% Administrative support 36% 49% Service 68% 93% Blue-collar 53% 61% Key Findings: • •
A tight labor market was evident, given that 60 percent of jobs were considered difficult to fill within the past year. Professional, technical and managerial jobs were the toughest to fill, while administrative support jobs were the easiest.
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TABLE 4. HIRING TRENDS BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY During past year Occupation Total, all industries Manufacturing Construction & Mining TCPU* Trade FIRE** Services Public administration
Number hired 3,947 298 238 160 1,794 184 1,255 18
Current vacancies
Percent of total 100% 8% 6% 4% 45% 5% 32% ***
Expected hires during coming year
Number Percent Number of Percent of of of total hires total openings 985 100% 1,903 100% 75 8% 177 9% 4% 3% 43 65 10 1% 8 *** 456 46% 970 51% 38 4% 101 5% 351 36% 570 30% 12 1% 12 1%
*TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate *** Less than 0.5% Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
Key Findings: • • •
Almost 1,000 jobs were currently vacant at the time of the survey. Nearly half of these vacancies were concentrated in the trade industry. Of the close to 2,000 hires expected in the coming year, over half will occur in trade.
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TABLE 5. PERCENT OF JOB OPENINGS CONSIDERED DIFFICULT TO FILL BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Industry During past year Current vacancies Total, all industries 60% 82% Manufacturing 19% 55% Construction and mining 73% 100% TCPU* 63% 100% Trade 65% 86% FIRE** 37% 56% Services 65% 81% Public administration 19% 32% *TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: • •
Employers in all industries found it more difficult to fill vacancies at the time of the survey than they did in the year prior to the survey. Employers in construction and mining and TCPU reported that 100 percent of their vacancies were difficult to fill at the time of the survey.
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TABLE 6. EDUCATIONAL/TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR CURRENT VACANCIES BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY
Industry
Total, all industries Manufacturing Construction & mining TCPU* Trade FIRE** Services Public administration
Openings As a percentage of total openings having an education/training requirement with Basic educational Bachelor’s Associate Apprenticeship/ Experience in H.S./ a related social requirement OJT Degree + Degree GED occupation skills 848 75 41 8 413 36 263 12
14% 25% 0% 0% 3% 12% 30% 33%
2% 2% 14% 0% 1% 6% 2% 12%
10% 5% 32% 50% 8% 12% 9% 12%
43% 5% 41% 50% 58% 18% 36% 10%
12% 35% 9% 0% 3% 29% 17% 35%
*TCPU – Transportation, communications and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
Key Findings: •
•
The largest share of employers (43 percent) indicated that their current vacancies required experience in a related occupation, while the smallest percentage (2 percent) required an associate degree. The percentage of manufacturing jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree or further education was much higher than the total for all industries combined (25 percent versus 14 percent), and approached the percentages for services and public administration.
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19% 28% 5% 0% 27% 24% 6% 0%
TABLE 7. EMPLOYERS INDICATING SKILL DEFICIENCIES AMONG APPLICANTS BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Percent of respondents indicating deficiency by skill category Industry Total, all industries Manufacturing Construction & mining TCPU* Trade FIRE** Services Public administration
Basic skills 7% 12% 15% 0% 8% 2% 6% 19%
Social skills 13% 12% 13% 11% 17% 12% 11% 9%
Job-specific skills 20% 31% 30% 17% 18% 23% 18% 19%
*TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: •
Overall, one in five applicants were considered to lack the job-specific skills necessary for the occupations they sought to fill, and the figure rose to almost one in three within the manufacturing industry.
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TABLE 8. PERCENTAGE OF NEW HIRES REQUIRING ADDITIONAL TRAINING BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Total, all industries
Manufacturing
33%
34%
Construction TCPU* Trade FIRE** Services & mining 77%
31%
27%
43%
34%
Public administration 29%
*TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: • •
Overall, one-third of new hires required additional training. The share of new hires who required additional training varied from one-quarter in trade to three-quarters in construction and mining.
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TABLE 9. EMPLOYERS INDICATING SKILL DEFICIENCIES AMONG CURRENT WORKERS BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Percent of respondents indicating deficiency by skill category Industry Total, all industries Manufacturing Construction & mining TCPU* Trade FIRE** Services Public administration
Basic skills
Social skills
Job-specific skills
2% 0% 0% 0% 2% 0% 2% 0%
3% 6% 0% 0% 3% 2% 3% 0%
5% 9% 5% 0% 5% 11% 5% 10%
*TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: •
• •
Five percent of current (incumbent) workers were found to be deficient in job-specific skills, 3 percent of current workers were deficient in social skills, and 2 percent were deficient in basic skills. Employers in finance, insurance and real estate, public administration and manufacturing reported the highest rates of deficiency in job-specific skills. Employers in the manufacturing, trade, and services industries reported the highest rates of deficiency in social skills.
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TABLE 10. TRAINING METHODS USED TOMPKINS COUNTY Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods In-house (on-the-job training) High school Four-year college/university Community college BOCES Private training academy Internet Other Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Union
1,111 1.4 % using method 95% 8% 8% 8% 6% 5% 5% 4% 3% 2%
Key Findings: • •
The vast majority of respondents who identified their training methods used in-house training. The use of high schools, four-year colleges or universities, and community colleges was tied at eight percent.
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TABLE 11. RECRUITMENT METHODS USED TOMPKINS COUNTY Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Local newspaper Networking Walk-ins In-house Workforce NY Center /Department of Labor Four-year college Other Internet Community college High school Private job placement agency BOCES Union Private training academy
1,083 2.7
% using method 57% 44% 41% 36% 15% 13% 11% 11% 10% 9% 9% 8% 2% 2%
Key Findings: • •
Local newspaper advertisements were most frequently used to secure workers (57 percent), followed by networking (44 percent) and walk-ins (41 percent). The Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor was used by 15 percent of respondents.
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TABLE 12. DISTRIBUTION OF JOBS BY JOB HOLDER’S PLACE OF RESIDENCE BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Percentage distribution of workers by residence Industry Tompkins County Rest of NYS Outside NYS Total, all industries 73% 26% 0% Manufacturing 72% 27% 1% Construction and mining 66% 34% 0% TCPU* 75% 25% 0% Trade 78% 22% 0% FIRE** 77% 23% 0% Services 72% 28% 0% Public administration 80% 20% 0% *TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.
Key Findings: • • •
The vast majority of job holders in Tompkins County (73 percent) resided in the county. Outside Tompkins County, Tioga County provided the largest share of workers, 8 percent, followed by Cortland, 5 percent, and Schuyler, 3 percent. By industry, public administration had the highest proportion of workers who resided in Tompkins County (80 percent). Construction and mining had the fewest county residents (66 percent).
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TABLE 13. DISTRIBUTION OF FULL- AND PART-TIME WORKERS BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Industry Full-time workers Part-time workers Total, all industries 66% 34% Manufacturing 82% 18% Construction and mining 91% 9% TCPU* 83% 17% Trade 50% 50% FIRE** 75% 25% Services 66% 34% Public administration 84% 16% *TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: • •
Sixty-six percent of workers in Tompkins County have full-time jobs (35 or more hours per week). Construction and mining had the highest proportion of full-time workers (91 percent), while trade had the lowest (50 percent).
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TABLE 14. DISTRIBUTION OF PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY WORKERS BY INDUSTRY TOMPKINS COUNTY Industry Permanent Temporary Total, all industries 96% 4% Manufacturing 93% 7% Construction and mining 77% 23% TCPU* 93% 7% Trade 91% 9% FIRE** 88% 12% Services 97% 3% Public administration 100% 0% *TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities **FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: • •
Employers considered more than 9 out of 10 of their employees to be permanent. Permanent workers comprised more than 90 percent of the workforce in all industries except construction and mining and finance, insurance and real estate.
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Appendix A EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES IN GROWING* INDUSTRIES Tompkins County Employment Change 1996 to 2001
Average Weekly Wages 2001 Number Percent
Industry
Educational services (public and private sector) Transportation equipment; and printing, and publishing, and allied industries** Social services (private) Engineering, accounting, research, management, and related services Food stores Executive, legislative, and general government, except finance Business services Eating and drinking places Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, except computer equipment Miscellaneous retail Automotive repair, services, and parking
2,478
16%
$763
792 643
41% 51%
$771 $371
271 175
33% 10%
$828 $283
173 163 148
11% 18% 6%
$548 $720 $199
130 126 121
194% 15% 47%
$968 $340 $566
*Growing industries are those that added 100 or more workers from 1996 to 2001. ** Due to confidentiality requirements, these two industries could not be published separately, and were consequently combined into one category. Source: Unemployment Insurance Covered Employment and Wages Program
Key Findings: •
•
From 1996 to 2001, educational services (2,478), transportation equipment; and printing and publishing, and allied industries (792), and private social services (643) added the most jobs. The highest-paying growth industries included electronic and other electrical equipment and components, except computer equipment ($968 per week) and engineering, accounting, research, management and related services ($828 per week).
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Appendix B MOST BENEFICIAL SKILLS TRAINING Today Number Percent
Skills category
In 1 year or more Number Percent
General skills Problem solving/decision-making Interpersonal/verbal communications Workplace ethics Team building Workplace preparedness Self-directed work teams Written communications Basic grammar, punctuation, spelling, math Workforce diversity Other English as a second language
308 297 267 252 217 182 171 145 100 39 23
44% 42% 38% 36% 31% 26% 24% 21% 14% 6% 3%
277 240 231 224 167 186 160 97 90 42 28
47% 40% 39% 38% 28% 31% 27% 16% 15% 7% 5%
Management and supervisory skills Employee motivation Effective supervisory skills Problem solving/decision-making Team/leadership development Conducting employee appraisals Coaching/counseling Train-the-trainer Conducting meetings Facilitating groups Other
317 289 264 247 185 175 159 83 81 15
55% 51% 46% 43% 32% 31% 28% 15% 14% 3%
237 213 223 212 172 122 128 72 84 14
51% 46% 48% 45% 37% 26% 27% 16% 18% 3%
Computer skills Windows Microsoft Office software HTML Other Auto CAD Visual Basic Java Lotus Notes Pascal C/C++
231 229 68 67 28 18 16 16 16 10
60% 60% 18% 17% 7% 5% 4% 4% 4% 3%
200 179 64 62 55 23 22 19 8 17
61% 54% 19% 19% 17% 6% 7% 6% 2% 5%
Key Findings: • • • •
Although slightly more respondents indicated a need for current training than future training, there was no appreciable difference in the type of training needed. Under general skills, problem solving/decision making, the only program included in more than one major category, was referenced more often than any other skills training. Under management and supervisory skills, employee motivation, effective supervisory skills, problem solving/decision-making, and team/leadership received the most responses for both current and future year training needs. Under computer skills, Windows and Microsoft office software received the most responses for both the current and future year.
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Appendix C RECRUITMENT METHODS OF RESPONDING FIRMS BY INDUSTRY All industries Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Local newspaper Networking Walk-ins In-house Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Four-year college/university Other Internet Community college High school Private job placement agency BOCES Union Private training academy
1,083 2.7 % using method 57% 44% 41% 36% 15% 13% 11% 11% 10% 9% 9% 8% 2% 2%
Manufacturing Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods In-house Local newspaper Walk-ins Networking Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Four-year college/university Internet Private job placement agency Community college Other High school BOCES Private training academy Union
19
46 3.6 % using method 61% 52% 49% 44% 25% 25% 25% 21% 15% 15% 13% 8% 4% 0%
Construction and mining Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Networking Walk-ins Local newspaper In-house Union Other BOCES Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Private job placement agency Community college Four-year college/university High school Internet Private training academy
74 2.1 % using method 43% 42% 34% 30% 13% 13% 9% 9% 8% 3% 3% 3% 3% 0%
Transportation, communication and public utilities Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Walk-ins In-house Local newspaper Networking Internet BOCES Community college Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor High school Other Private training academy Union Four-year college/university Private job placement agency
20
31 2.8 % using method 56% 38% 38% 31% 19% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 6% 0%
Wholesale and retail trade Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Walk-ins Local newspaper In-house Networking Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Other Internet Private job placement agency High school BOCES Community college Four-year college/university Private training academy Union
324 2.5 % using method 61% 48% 43% 31% 13% 11% 9% 8% 7% 7% 6% 3% 1% 1%
Finance, insurance and real estate Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Local newspaper Networking In-house Walk-ins High school Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Four-year college/university Other Community college Internet Private job placement agency Union BOCES Private training academy
21
85 2.6 % using method 67% 65% 21% 20% 18% 15% 12% 12% 11% 7% 5% 2% 0% 0%
Services Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Local newspaper Networking In-house Walk-ins Four-year college/university Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Community college Internet Private job placement agency BOCES Other High school Private training academy Union
512 2.8 % using method 64% 49% 33% 30% 19% 15% 13% 11% 10% 10% 10% 10% 3% 2%
Government Number of responding firms using 1 or more methods Average # of methods used Methods Local newspaper Networking Walk-ins Four-year college/university Workforce NY Center/Department of Labor Internet High school BOCES Private job placement agency Community college In-house Other Private training academy Union
11 4.1 % using method 90% 90% 79% 46% 33% 25% 23% 12% 12% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Key Findings: • • •
Respondents used an average of approximately three recruitment methods. Government agencies used the most methods (4.1), relying chiefly on local newspapers, networking, walk-ins, four-year colleges and universities, and the Department of Labor. Construction and mining firms averaged the fewest methods, 2.1, followed by 2.5 for trade industries, and 2.6 for finance, insurance and real estate.
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APPENDIX D-1 SURVEY SAMPLE AND RESPONSE BY INDUSTRY Tompkins County Number of Universe* Respondents Industry Firms Total, all industries 1,688 Manufacturing 88 Construction & 109 mining TCPU** 50 Trade 510 FIRE*** 153 Services 765 Public administration 13
Employees
firms sampled
Firms
Employees
Respondents’ share of universe employment
39,630 3,517 996
1,376 88 109
574 40 53
23,076 694 588
58% 20% 59%
1,328 6,647 1,423 23,893 1,826
50 395 153 568 13
21 161 61 227 11
291 1,991 435 17,933 1,144
22% 30% 31% 75% 63%
*Universe totals include companies in nonclassified industries. **TCPU – Transportation, communication and public utilities ***FIRE – Finance, insurance and real estate
Key Findings: • • • •
A total of 1,376 surveys were mailed. Of these, 76 were sent to large firms and 1,300 were sent to small firms. Of the 76 large firms sampled, 29 (40 percent) responded. Of the 1,300 small firms sampled, 545 (45 percent) responded. The 574 respondents employed 23,076 people, approximately 58 percent of all employees in the survey universe.
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APPENDIX D-2 SURVEY SAMPLE AND RESPONSE BY SIZE OF FIRM Tompkins County Number of firms Size of firm Universe Mailed Responded Response rate surveys (%) Total, all firms 1,688 1,376 574 45% 0 - 49 employees 1,612 1,300 545 45% 50+ employees 76 76 29 40%
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