EMPLOYMENT INFLOW AND OUTFLOW & COMMUTING PATTERNS (2010 TO 2019)

from Steadfast: IN-15 Economic Recovery & Resiliency Plan

GLOSSARY

An overview of the commuting patterns in the region is shown in Table 17. The column “Inbound Commuters” enumerates those people who commute to the region from where they live outside the region. The column “Outbound Commuters” does the same for the number of people who live in the region but commute to somewhere outside. Finally, the last column, “Remain within the Region” represents those people who live and work within the region.

Since 2010, the number of inbound commuters grew at a greater rate than the number of outbound commuters. This is a step in the right direction and indicates that more people are being attracted to the region for employment than are being attracted elsewhere. The main concern remains in the failure to attract people to not just work, but also live in the region. Where are people who live in the region commuting to? U.S. Census data helps to answer this. The table below shows which counties people who live in the region are working in. For example, the 2019 commuter patterns in Table A.17 show that 37.1 percent of people (share of total) work in Dubois County. What this means is that out of all the employed residents of the six-county region, 37.1 percent work in Dubois County. Similarly, out of all the employed residents of the six-county region, only 1.5 percent work in Crawford County. This is also the reason some outside counties are listed at the bottom of the table. In 2019, out of all the employed residents of the six-county region, 6.6 percent worked in Vanderburgh County. There are fewer people across the region working in Orange, Spencer, Pike, and Crawford counties, while there has been an increase in people working in Dubois and Perry counties. This is concerning as this is an indication that Dubois and Perry counties are slowly increasing their job opportunities for the region’s residents, but the other four counties have failed to retain their jobs. Although the region may have decreased the total amount of job opportunities present, the aging population and retirement may contribute to the decrease in residents working within the region.

On the other hand, where are people who work in the region coming from? For people who are employed in the region, which counties are providing the most workers? For example, the table below shows that out of all jobs in the study area, 33.6 percent were worked by people coming from Dubois County. Similarly, Vanderburgh County residents accounted for 2.7 percent of jobs in the study area in 2019. Taking a broader look at the data, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that out of all jobs that existed in the study area in 2019, 67 percent were worked by people who were also residents of the region. This implies that nearly 33 percent, or a third, of all jobs in the region, were being worked by people who lived outside the study area and commuted into it.

Table A.18 – Commuting Patterns, Inflow, 2010 – 2019 CAGR

Unemployment Rates

The unemployment rates for the U.S. and Indiana have returned to their 2019 levels while Crawford, Dubois, and Orange counties are all within one percent of their 2019 unemployment rates. Perry, Pike, and Spencer counties are also all within one percent of their 2019 unemployment rates. This shows a return to a pre-COVID-19 level of the employment sector for all geographies and a potential resurgence of job opportunities.

Figure A.21 – Unemployment Rate in Select Counties, 2010 – May 2021

Table A.19 – Unemployment Rates

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES (COVID-19)

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant changes in the national and regional employment rates. In March 2020, when much of the U.S. entered a lockdown, there was a huge spike in unemployment as people lost their jobs. This is no different from what the region experienced. Looking at Figures A.22.1 – A.22.6, every county experienced a spike in its unemployment numbers in April.

Figures A.22.1 Crawford County Unemployment Rates, January 2020 – September 2021

Crawford County, Unemployment during the COVID-19 Pandemic, January 2020 - September 2021