Wage survey aims to help businesses attract and retain employees
For the first time since 2013, Networks Northwest conducted a survey of northwest lower Michigan to determine how much money workers in different industries were making.
The survey launched in March through Survey Monkey and was sent to employers at businesses of all sizes, as well as schools and nonprofit organizations to get a full scope of data. Links to the survey were sent out through Constant Contact and through direct email. Email lists from Networks Northwest and eight other partners were combined to create a list of survey recipients.
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After sending the survey link to thousands of employers across the 10 county region, they received 448 total responses, a 40 percent increase over the 2013 survey. Networks Northwest was able to compile data for 29 job families with a total of 677 jobs.
“I think we learned a lot from the (survey) we had done in 2013. We had started planning and developing this survey back in April 2021. We pulled together focus groups and we took steps to be very intentional, partnering with our local economic development organizations, our chamber of commerces, I think we took better strides to increase participation,” said Chief Program Officer for Networks Northwest Jessica Willis.
“I think there was a real hunger for it as well. People were very interested in it. So I think it was a combination of a couple of things; getting the word out, being more intentional, but also there was clearly a need in the community to want to get this information.”
According to the Department of Technology, Management and Budget unemployment report released on July 28, northwest lower Michigan experienced a 10 percent increase in unemployment in the month of June, but employment has increased by about 5 percent over the year.
“Most of Michigan’s regional jobless rates saw typical June increases,” said Wayne
Rourke, associate director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic
Initiatives, in a press release. “June nonfarm jobs increased throughout the state as seasonal hiring continued across multiple industries.”
The Networks Northwest survey reflected growth over the last nine years as the size of industries and types of jobs increased since the survey in 2013, which had 22 job families and 406 occupations.
The top three industries identified in the survey were manufacturing, not-for-profit and hospitality/food service/personal care. The top three occupations fell under office administration, executive management and finance.
Networks Northwest has put significant energy into expanding the manufacturing industry in the region as a way to diversify the economy and expand beyond reliance on seasonal industries like tourism.
According to the most recent job report, northwest lower Michigan’s civilian labor force has increased by 3 percent since last year, going from 150,500 in June 2021 to 155,000 in June 2022. This is supported by the 2020 census, which showed a 4.3 percent increase in Emmet County’s population since 2010.
More:Emmet County's population up by 4.3%, according to U.S. Census
The goal of the wage survey is to allow employers to compare themselves to other local employers in the same industry.
“We look at it as just one tool, a very important tool, for businesses to use in order to attract talent, as well as to retain talent. That's really important right now,” Willis said.
“But I also like to look in longer terms as well, this can be useful for even training providers, educators, colleges to really look at the industries and (provide) career pathways, career training programs that can meet that need that we see out there. So I think there's kind of an immediate application that businesses can use it for, but I think it's also a really good planning tool for that sector of our workforce, the career and training providers.”
Willis said Networks Northwest is aiming to do a similar survey every two to three years in order to get a more accurate look at changes in employment and specific industries, especially during major events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is really our first step in trying to continue on a cycle so that in another two, three years, we'll have a better comparison to see which industries are growing, which are declining, it will just be a clearer picture than comparing from 2013,” Willis said.
Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_Petoskey