The Humboldt County Development Association is partnering with Iowa Workforce
Development and Iowa Economic Development Authority to complete a Laborshed
employment study for the Humboldt area. This study will geographically define which
communities contribute to Humboldt’s workforce, regardless of political boundaries.
This defined area is called a Laborshed area and is based upon commuting patterns.
The purpose of this Laborshed study is to measure the availability and characteristics of
Humboldt area workers.
Laborshed studies are useful tools for economic development teams and existing or prospective employers to understand the local labor market, make informed expansion and site selection decisions, and maintain/recruit a high-quality workforce.
For the success of this study, we will be sending letters to employers in Humboldt asking
that they provide us with aggregate counts of their employees’ residential ZIP codes. This will
allow us to determine what the scope and scale of Humboldt’s Laborshed area is and better
understand where Humboldt’s workforce resides.
Once that Laborshed area is determined, a confidential residential telephone survey will
be conducted to collect workforce characteristic information specific to the area. The survey
call originates out of Cedar Rapids, IA, therefore, the incoming number will have the 319-area
code.
It is possible that you may receive a text message from their 888 number as well, alerting
you to expect a call from them to take the survey. Survey questions will cover topics such as:
employment status, current and desired wages, current and desired benefits, education level,
and type of occupation among other things. However, Iowa Workforce Development will not be
asking survey takers identifiable information such as: name, social security number, or date of
birth.
Every year Iowa Workforce Development conducts Laborshed studies across the State.
The results of each analysis are publicly available online at www.iowalmi.gov/laborshed.
If you have any questions about the Laborshed project, please contact Katie Lippold at 515-281-3035
or Alissa O’Connor, with Humboldt County Development at 515.332.2557.