Quality of Our Workforce
"Our workforce is our most important asset because our industry is very labor intensive. With rapidly changing equipment and technology advances, employee education has become incredibly important. We have found our employees to be very open to gaining new skill sets as we bring them through the company. In fact, we have a large number of employees who have been with us 10 or more years. -- Barbara J. Linde, Secretary & CFO, Linde Corporation
We understand the importance of workforce quality to your business decisions. With so much riding on a relocation or expansion, it is simply not enough to say that our workforce is great. That is why our marketing partner, Penn's Northeast, has requested numerous studies in recent years to determine how we compare to other regions. Without question, the results show that Northeastern Pennsylvania really has something special. Consider what John Rhodes, Senior Executive at Moran, Stahl, & Boyer, had to say:
"It's almost like Northeast PA defines what work ethic is. People come to work with an eagerness and willingness to get the job done."
Work Ethic
Moran, Stahl & Boyer and The Wadley Donovan Group have both analyzed the region's ability to attract and grow financial services within Northeastern PA. Below are a few report highlights:
"Local workers were consistently rated "above average" to excellent". The workforce was rated higher than comparable resources in the South, Midwest, and West Coast". Source: Moran, Stahl & Boyer
"Most office employees in the region have a 40-hour workweek, which can translate to significant savings versus 35 hour or 37.5 hour workweeks typical in many other parts of the Northeast." Source: The Wadley Donovan Group
Emerging Workforce
Northeastern PA is rich with colleges, universities, and technical schools that offer renowned and innovative educational opportunities and add to our vitality, creativeity, diversity, and cultural enrichment. With over 20 institutions serving the region, employers and students alike have their choice of first-class facilities and educators, customized job training, and continuing educational programs. Visit our Training Providers page for a list of education institutions serving the region.
Educational Attainment
Educational Attainment, Persons over 25, Wayne County, PA
Turnover and Absenteeism
High productivity and work ethic -- low turnover and absenteeism. This is a good combination for any business and, according to one recent study, is reflective of our region's electronic industry. A study done by natiional consultants The Wadley Donovan Group, revealed the following workforce qualities:
"The average annual turnover rate for all employees is typically less than 5%, and average daily absenteeism is generally below 5%. The new-hire rate is typically less than 10% on average, which is low compared to other WDG-studies areas." The Wadley Donovan Group, Fall 2005
Unionization
"A new facility locating in the five-county Penn's Northeast region would face a minimal threat of unionization." The Wadley Donovan Group
Our region's proud heritage of coal mining and railroading is extraordinarily vivid, evoking images of the toughest laborers fighting both work conditions and for the right to improve them. What lingers from this past, however, is the strong work ethic of our people; conditions supporting the labor organizations have all but disappeared. The Wadley Donovan Group evaluated regional labor mangement relations and found that northeast PA roughly matched the State rate for private sector union membership and was only slightly above the national rate. Since 1996, only a small percentage of new businesses in the area have ben unionized. Wayne County had no union stoppages during this time period.