1. DATA SNAPSHOT
Spencer County
Data SnapShot Series 1.1 October 2015

2. 01 03 02 04 Table of contents Introduction Economy Demography
Labor Market

3. 01
introduction
Purpose
About Spencer County

4. Introduction
Purpose
This document provides information and data about Spencer County that can be used to guide local decision- making activities.
The Data SnapShot showcases a variety of demographic, economic and labor market information that local leaders, community organizations and others can use to gain a better perspective on current conditions and opportunities in their county.
To strengthen the value and usability of the information, we showcase the data using a variety of visual tools, such as charts, graphs and tables. In addition, we offer key points about the data as a way of assisting the user with the interpretation of the information presented.
Finally, short takeaway messages are offered at the end of each section in order to highlight some of the more salient findings.
section 01

5. About Spencer County Introduction County Background Established 1818
Seat
Rockport
Area
401 sq. mi.
Neighboring
Counties
Daviess, KY
Dubois, IN
Hancock, KY
Perry, IN
Warrick, IN
Metropolitan Status
Non-metro
section 01

6. 02 demography Population change Population pyramids Race Ethnicity
Educational attainment
Takeaways 02
demography

7. Population change 2000 2010 2014 2020 Total population projections
Demography
Population change
Total population projections
The total population is projected to increase by 2 percent between and 2020.
2000
2010
2014
2020
The county’s total population increased by 2 percent between 2000 and Natural increase (births minus deaths over that span of time) was the major contributor to population expansion, with a gain of 570 persons.
The components of population change suggest that domestic migration (the difference between the number of people moving into the county versus moving out) was another major source of population change, a loss of 1,230 individuals. In contrast, international migration also increased by 131 individuals, indicating that the county experienced an influx of new people from outside the United States.
Components of Population Change,
Total Change
-564*
Natural Increase
570
International Migration
131
Domestic Migration
-1,230
section 02
*Total change in population differs from the sum of the components due to Census estimation techniques. Residuals (not reported here) make up the difference.
Sources: STATSIndiana, U.S. Census Bureau – 2000 Decennial Census, 2010 Decennial Census, 2014 Estimates, Estimates of the Components of Resident Population Change

8. Demography
Population pyramids Population pyramids are visual representations of the age distribution of the population by gender.
2000
2014
Male
Female
Male
Female
Approximately 49.9% of the population was female in 2000 (10,174 people) and that percentage remained about the same in What did change is the distribution of people across the various age categories. A larger share of people shifted into the higher age groupings over the 2000 to 2014 time period.
People 50 and over increased from 14.0% to 20.2% for males and from 15.7% to 20.8% for females between 2000 and Individuals of prime working age (20 to 49) dipped from 21.4% to 17.5% for males and from 20.1% to 16.7% for females. However, residents under 20 years of age declined from 28.8% to 24.8% of the total population.
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau – 2000 Decennial Census and 2014 Annual Population Estimates

9. Demography
Race
2000
The proportion of non-White residents in Spencer County doubled between 2000 and 2014.
Every race experienced a numerical increase over the time period. Of the non- White races, people of Two or More Race (+96) gained the most. Proportionally, the people of Two or More (+108 percent) and Asian (+93 percent) races gained the most.
The White population increased by residents between 2000 and 2014 but represents a smaller percentage growth relative to some of the other racial groups.
2014
section 02
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – 2000 Decennial Census and 2014 Annual Population Estimates

10. 2% 3% Ethnicity Demography
Hispanics
Hispanics are individuals of any race whose ancestry is from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spain, the Dominican Republic or any other Spanish- speaking Central or South American country.
There were 298 Hispanics residing in Spencer County in This figure expanded to 574 by 2014, a percent increase.
Due to this numeric increase, the proportion of Hispanics in the population is now around 3 percent. 2%
Hispanics 3%
section 02
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – 2000 Decennial Census and 2014 Annual Population Estimates

11. Educational attainment
Demography
Educational attainment
Spencer County had a 5 percentage point increase in the number of adults (25 and older) with an associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degree from to 2013.
The proportion of adults 25 years of age and older with a high school education or more improved from 81 percent in 2000 to 86 percent by Those with only a high school degree rose slightly from 43 percent in 2000 to 44 percent in 2013.
Adults with a college degree increased from 20 percent in 2000 to 25 percent in This was due to a 2 percentage point increase in the proportion of residents with associate’s degrees (7 percent versus 9 percent), while the proportion of adults with at least a bachelor's degree increased from 13 percent to 16 percent, a 3 percentage point growth. .
2000
2013
section 02
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – 2000 Decennial Census and 2013 ACS

12. Demography
Takeaways
Though the racial and ethnic diversity of Spencer County has increased since 2000, it remains primarily White and non-Hispanic.
The educational attainment of adults 25 and over has improved since 2000, but the percentage of adults with a high school education (44 percent) or less (13 percent) remains sizable. Taking time to assess whether local economic development opportunities might be impeded by the presence of a sizable number of adults with a terminal high school degree or less may be worthy of attention. While one in four adult residents of the county had an associate’s, bachelor’s or higher degree in , this is about 6 percentage points below the figure for the state of Indiana as a whole.
Spencer County may wish to assess the workforce skills of workers with a high school education only. Enhancing their skills so that they match the needs of local businesses and industries may be a worthy investment.
The population of Spencer County is projected to grow over the next few years, and, if past trends hold, that increase will be largely due to natural increase (more births than deaths). However, recent data (2013 and 2014) indicate a natural decrease in population may be slowing projected population growth.
In examining the composition of Spencer County’s population, one finds an aging population in which the largest age group of workers (50 to 59 years) is nearing retirement age. Additionally, the number of men and women of prime working age (20 to 49 years) is slowly declining. Noticeably, by 2014 there was a significant loss of residents that were between 30 and 39 years of age in 2000, possibly due to domestic out-migration (people moving out of the county for other U.S. locations).
section 02

13. 03 economy Establishments Industries Occupations Income and poverty
Takeaways 03
economy

14. 0 1 3 4 Establishments Definition of Company Stages Economy
The number of establishments in Spencer County increased 50 percent from 2000 to
The rapid growth of establishments was largely due to natural change. That is, 1,396 establishments were launched in the county from to 2011, while 892 closed, resulting in a net gain of 509 establishments. There was a small gain of 5 establishments due to net migration.
An establishment is a physical business location. Branches, standalones and headquarters are all considered types of establishments.
Definition of Company Stages
Self-employed
2-9 employees
Components of Change for Establishments
Total Change ( )
509
Natural Change (births minus deaths)
504
Net Migration 5 3
10-99
employees
employees 4
500+
employees
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Note: The 2011 figures use 2012 data to include all gains and losses over the entire year. Establishment information was calculated in-house and may differ slightly from publicly available data.
Source: National Establishment Time Series (NETS) – 2012 Database

15. Number of establishments by stage/employment category
Economy
Number of establishments by stage/employment category
2000
2011
Stage
Establishments
Proportion
Stage 0
330
33%
564
37%
Stage 1
540
53%
830
55%
Stage 2
129
13%
117 8%
Stage 3 11 1% 9
Stage 4 1 0% -* -
Total
1,011
100%
1,520
The NETS Database is derived from the Dun & Bradstreet archival national establishment data, a population of known establishments in the United States that is quality controlled and updated annually. Establishments include both private and public sector business units and range in size from one employee (i.e., sole-proprietors and self-employed) to several thousand employees.
*ReferenceUSA indicates two Stage 4 firms in 2011, whereas NETS does not show a Stage 4 firm. Additional information is available on the next slide.
section 03
Note: The 2011 figures use 2012 data to include all gains and losses over the entire year.
Source: National Establishment Time Series (NETS) – 2012 Database

16. Top five employers in 2015 Economy Establishment Stage1.
Holiday World Splashin’ Safari
Stage 4 2.
AK Steel Corporation 3.
St. Meinrad School of Theology 4.
4a) National Office Furniture* 4b) St. Meinrad Gift Shop*
Stage 3 5.
5a) American Electric Power Co.† 5b) Spencer Industries, Inc.†
The largest employers produce a mix of national and global goods and services.
Holiday World Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus is the largest establishment-level employer in Spencer County. It is a theme park that attracts visitors from across the nation.
AK Steel and Spencer Industries manufacture goods used nationally and globally, while National Office Furniture and American Electric Power mainly supply national goods and services. St. Meinrad is a theological school and publisher with national and global reach.
Information on the top five establishments by employment comes from ReferenceUSA. ReferenceUSA is a library database service provided by Infogroup, the company that also supplies the list of major employers for Hoosiers by the Numbers. While both NETS and ReferenceUSA contain establishments, differences in data collection processes result in discrepancies between the two sources. We use NETS for a broad picture of establishments in the county, while ReferenceUSA is used for studying individual establishments.
*Both National Office Furniture and St. Meinrad Archabbey Gift Shop are listed as establishments with 300 employees and, thus, appear alphabetically.
†Both American Electric Power Company and Spencer Industries are listed as establishments with 250 employees and, thus, appear alphabetically.
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Source: ReferenceUSA (Infogroup)

17. Number of jobs by stage/employment category
Economy
Number of jobs by stage/employment category
2000
2011
Stage
Jobs*
Proportion
Stage 0
330 4%
564 7%
Stage 1
1,830
22%
2,497
32%
Stage 2
3,467
43%
3,199
41%
Stage 3
1,911
23%
1,469
19%
Stage 4
600 -
Total
8,138
100%
7,729
The NETS data does not include the Holiday World Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, which employs 1,200 people, according to ReferenceUSA. Holiday World opened in AK Steel is also omitted, with 701 employees in The AK Steel Rockport Works opened in 1998.
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*Includes both full-time and part-time jobs
Note: The 2011 figures use 2012 data to include all gains and losses over the entire year.
Source: National Establishment Time Series (NETS) – 2012 Database

18. Amount of sales (2011 dollars) by stage/employment category
Economy
Amount of sales (2011 dollars) by stage/employment category
2000
2011
Stage
Sales
Proportion
Stage 0
$37,737,635 3%
$35,145,159 5%
Stage 1
$266,755,007
22%
$207,803,351
28%
Stage 2
$467,814,185
39%
$314,526,743
43%
Stage 3
$344,916,765
29%
$173,622,250
24%
Stage 4
$87,266,552 7% -
Total
$1,204,490,144
100%
$731,097,503
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Note: The 2011 figures use 2012 data to include all gains and losses over the entire year.
Source: National Establishment Time Series (NETS) – 2012 Database

19. Economy
Top five industries in 2014
49.2 percent of jobs are tied to one of the top five industries in Spencer County.
Manufacturing is the largest industry sector (1,458 jobs). Retail Trade is the smallest of the top industry sectors with jobs.
Of the top five industries in Spencer County, three gained jobs between and Arts, Entertainment & Recreation experienced the largest percentage job growth ( percent), followed by Other Services ( percent). Retail Trade lost the most ground, with a 23.5 percent decline in jobs over this time period.
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Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors

20. Industry distribution and change
Economy
Industry distribution and change
NAICS Code
Description
Jobs 2002
Jobs
2014
Change ( )
% Change ( )
Average Total Earnings 2014 11
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting
683
670
-13
-2%
$33,027 21
Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction
209
123
-86
-41%
$3,373 22
Utilities
281
220
-61
-22%
$129,482 23
Construction
419
435 16 4%
$34,933
31-33
Manufacturing
1,868
1,458
-410
$62,344 42
Wholesale Trade
560
454
-106
-19%
$46,699
44-45
Retail Trade
884
676
-208
-24%
$25,215
48-49
Transportation & Warehousing
338
449
111
33%
$47,647 51
Information
106
-17
-14%
$56,111 52
Finance & Insurance
240
323 83
35%
$32,941 53
Real Estate & Rental & Leasing
197
216 19
10%
$12,803 54
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services
177
204 27
15%
$20,449 55
Management of Companies and Enterprises 28 12
75%
$58,700 56
Administrative & Waste Management
364
486
122
34%
$28,543 61
Educational Services (Private)
336
314
1427%
$41,035 62
Health Care & Social Assistance
839
474
-365
-44%
$35,065 71
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
432
931
499
116%
$16,790 72
Accommodation and Food Services
421
476
13%
$14,135 81
Other Services (except Public Administration)
586
698
112
19%
$34,192 90
Government
1,052
1,073 2%
$39,477 99
Unclassified Industry 0%
All
Total
9,711
9,835
124 1%
$38,109
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Note: Average total earnings include wages, salaries, supplements and earnings from investments and proprietorships.
Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors

21. Industry distribution and change
Economy
Industry distribution and change
The largest percentage gains in employment in Spencer County occurred in:
Educational Services, private (+1,427.3 percent)
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation ( percent)
The largest percentage losses in employment occurred in:
Health Care and Social Assistance (-43.6 percent)
Mining, Quarrying and Oil and Gas Extraction (-41.4 percent)
Employment Increase
Employment Decrease
Industries with the largest gains and losses in employment numbers between 2002 & 2014:
Arts & Entertainment (+499)
Educational Services (+314)
Manufacturing (-410)
Health Care & Social Assistance (-365)
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Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors

22. Top five occupations in 2014
Economy
Top five occupations in 2014
The top five occupations in Spencer County represent percent of all jobs.
Production (1,082 jobs) is the top occupation classification in Spencer County at 11.0 percent. The top occupation with the smallest number of workers is Transportation & Material Moving with jobs (9.0 percent).
All five top occupations in Spencer County, except Management (+3.0 percent), had a decline in jobs between 2002 and Of these, Production (-20.9 percent) and Transportation & Material Moving ( percent) occupations experienced the largest percentage losses, while Office & Administrative Support occupations lost the least (-4.2 percent) over the time period.
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Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors

23. Occupation distribution and change
Economy
Occupation distribution and change
SOC
Description
Jobs 2002
Jobs 2014
Change ( )
% Change ( )
Hourly Earnings 2014 11
Management
987
1,017 30 3%
$18.70 13
Business & Financial Operations
274
315 41
15%
$22.65 15
Computer & Mathematical 60 72 12
20%
$22.76 17
Architecture & Engineering
180
190 10 6%
$34.62 19
Life, Physical & Social Science 29 34 5
17%
$26.39 21
Community & Social Service
100 94 -6
-6%
$16.40 23
Legal 28 -1
-3%
$27.32 25
Education, Training & Library
418
526
108
26%
$18.17 27
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports & Media
193
233 40
21%
$13.00
Health Care Practitioners & Technical
189
236 47
25%
$23.13 31
Health Care Support
154
134
-20
-13%
$11.00 33
Protective Service
119
148
24%
$13.23 35
Food Preparation & Serving Related
486
523 37 8%
$9.19
Building & Grounds Cleaning Maintenance
508
234
85%
$9.75 39
Personal Care & Service
635
609
-26
-4%
$8.94
Sales & Related
1,042
990
-52
-5%
$12.56 43
Office & Administrative Support
979
938
-41
$13.21 45
Farming, Fishing & Forestry 87 96 9
10%
$12.73
Construction & Extraction
482 4 1%
$16.47 49
Installation, Maintenance & Repair
483
558 75
16%
$20.04 51
Production
1,368
1,082
-286
-21%
$16.70 53
Transportation & Material Moving
957
884
-73
-8%
$14.61 55
Military 67 65 -2
$16.00 99
Unclassified
117 69
-48
-41%
$11.09
All
Total
9,711
9,835
124
$15.41
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Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors

24. Occupation distribution and change
Economy
Occupation distribution and change
The largest percentage gains in employment in Spencer County occurred in:
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance (+85.4 percent)
Education, Training and Library (+25.8 percent)
The largest percentage loss in employment occurred in:*
Production (-20.9 percent)
Healthcare Support (-13.0 percent)
Occupations with the largest gains and losses in employment numbers between 2002 & 2014:
Building & Grounds (+234)
Education, Training & Library (+108)
Production (-286)
Transportation & Material Moving (-73)
Employment Increase
Employment Decrease
*The largest percentage losses occurred in Unclassified occupation category, with a 41.0 percent loss. This was omitted from the list because it confuses, rather than clarifies, where the largest occupational job losses are occurring.
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Source: Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) – – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, Self-Employed, and Extended Proprietors

25. Income and poverty Economy 2002 2007 2013
Total Population in Poverty
7.2%
9.2%
10.5%
Minors (up to age 17) in Poverty
7.8%
11.9%
13.8%
Real Median Household Income (2013)*
$55,224
$58,220
$50,533
Real Per Capita Income (2013)*
$32,203
$34,602
$36,212
The median household income in Spencer County dipped by $4,700 between 2002 and in real dollars (that is, adjusted for inflation), while average income per person rose by $4,000 in real dollars over the same time period.
The proportion of minors in poverty increased substantially between and 2013 and is higher than the county’s overall poverty rate. Specifically, the percentage of minors living in poverty was over 3 percentage points higher than in Spencer County as a whole.
*Real median household income is the middle income value in the county. Half of the county’s households fall above this line and half below. Real per capita personal income is the average income per person in the county.
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis – Regional Personal Income Summary

26. Economy
Income and poverty Median household income in Spencer County fluctuated between 2000 and 2013, following a decreasing trend. Per capita income has been gradually increasing since Poverty rates for adults and minors have stabilized over the past three years, after experiencing steadily increases since 2000.
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis – Regional Personal Income Summary

27. Economy
The fluctuation and gradual decline in real median income experienced between 2000 and 2013 may be tied to employment changes in the county during that time period. Moderate-paying Manufacturing and Health Care & Social Assistance jobs ($62,000 and $35,000 yearly earnings, respectively) and Production and Transportation & Material Moving occupations (around $15 per hour) declined. Meanwhile, moderate and low-paying industries and occupations, such as Educational Service and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation jobs ($41,000 and $17,000 yearly earnings, respectively), grew at a good pace. The occupation that experienced the largest increase in jobs, Building & Grounds, paid an hourly wage of $9.75 in No doubt, the ability of Spencer County to capture high-paying jobs will depend on the availability of a well-trained and educated workforce, something that may be challenging in light of the smaller percentage of adults in the county with a college degree. Ensuring that a skilled workforce is available to support the key industries in the county will be important to the economic stability of the county.
Takeaways
Growth in the number of establishments in Spencer County occurred in businesses having fewer than 10 employees (the self-employed and Stage 1 enterprises), components of the local economy that are often overlooked by local leaders.
Spencer County might consider focusing on economic development efforts that seek to strengthen high-growth Stage 1 and 2 establishments since they employ several people and capture sizable sales, although these sales have suffered in recent years. At the same time, it should continue to build on its strength in the Arts Entertainment, & Recreation sector since it serves as a magnet for tourism dollars.
Real median income has decreased, despite growth in real per capita income. The increased poverty rate for both minors and the total population indicates a growing income imbalance in the county since 2000.
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28. 04 labor market Labor force and unemployment Workforce inflow/outflow
Commuter shed
Labor shed
Takeaways 04
labor
market

29. Labor force and unemployment
Labor market
Labor force and unemployment
The size of the labor force in Spencer County rose by 1.1 percent between and 2014.
This increase could be due to youth entering the labor market or previously discouraged workers who had given up looking for a job now opting to reenter the workforce. At the same time, there has been a 0.6 percentage point rise in the unemployment rate since , indicating that entrants into the labor market may be having some difficulty finding a job.
2002
2007
2014
Labor Force
10,634
10,427
10,753
Unemployment Rate
4.7%
4.2%
5.3%
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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Local Area Unemployment Statistics (2014 Annual Data Release)

30. Labor market
Unemployment rate Unemployment increased dramatically after 2007, peaking at 9.2 percent in Since that time, the rate has been on a steady decline, dipping to 5.3 percent by 2014.
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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Local Area Unemployment Statistics (2014 Annual Data Release)

31. Workforce inflow and outflow in 2013
Labor market
Workforce inflow and outflow in 2013
Spencer County has more laborers traveling out of the county for work than into the county for work.
Net commuting is negative, with a loss of 2,836 commuters. The resulting situation is that for every 100 employed residents, Spencer County has 70 jobs.
Count
Proportion
Employed in Spencer County
6,536
100%
Both employed and living in the county
2,727
42%
Employed in the county but living outside
3,809
58%
Living in Spencer County
9,372
Both living and employed in the county
29%
Living in the county but employed outside
6,645
71%
6,536
9,372
2,727
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OTM, LEHD, PCRD

32. Commuter shed Labor market Same Work/ Out-Commuters Home
A county’s commuter shed is the geographic area to which its resident labor force travels to work.
Seventy-one percent of employed residents in Spencer County commute to jobs located outside of the county. Dubois County, Indiana, is the biggest destination for residents who work outside of Spencer County.
Thirty-six percent of out-commuters work in counties adjacent to Spencer County. However, the second and fourth largest work destinations outside of Spencer County is the Evansville (Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties, Indiana) metropolitan area, and the third largest work destination is the Owensboro (Daviess County, Kentucky) metropolitan area.
6,645
2,727
Commuters
Proportion
Dubois, IN
1,593
17.0%
Vanderburgh, IN
1,371
14.6%
Daviess, KY
585
6.2%
Warrick, IN
558
6.0%
Perry, IN
524
5.6%
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD)

33. Commuter shed in 2013 Labor market
Seventy-five percent of Spencer County’s working residents are employed in Dubois, Spencer, Vanderburgh or Warrick Counties in Indiana or in Daviess County, Kentucky. Another 5 percent commute to Perry County, Indiana. An additional 5 percent travel to jobs in Gibson or Marion Counties in Indiana.
Collectively, these eight counties represent 85 percent of the commuter shed for Spencer County.
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OTM, LEHD, PCRD

34. Labor shed Labor market Same Work/ In-Commuters Home
A county’s labor shed is the geographic area from which it draws employees.
Fifty-eight percent of individuals working in Spencer County commute from another county.
Thirty-four percent of in-commuters reside in counties adjacent to Spencer County, and four of the top five counties in the labor shed are adjacent counties. The third largest source of labor is the Owensboro (Daviess County, Kentucky) metropolitan area, and the fourth and fifth largest sources are the Evansville (Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties, Indiana) metropolitan area.
3,809
2,727
Commuters
Proportion
Dubois, IN
625
9.6%
Perry, IN
543
8.3%
Daviess, KY
514
7.9%
Warrick, IN
483
7.4%
Vanderburgh, IN
271
4.1%
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD)

35. Labor shed in 2013 Labor market
The bulk (75 percent) of Spencer County’s workforce is drawn from Dubois, Perry, Spencer or Warrick Counties in Indiana or Daviess County, Kentucky. Another 5 percent is drawn from Vanderburgh County, Indiana. An additional 5 percent reside in Daviess, Gibson, or Pike Counties in Indiana or Ohio County, Kentucky.
Combined, the ten counties represent 85 percent of Spencer County’s labor shed.
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OTM, LEHD, PCRD

36. Takeaways Labor market
Approximately 71 percent of Spencer County residents in the workforce are gainfully employed outside of the county. This represents a tremendous loss of human talent that is unavailable to contribute to the social and economic vitality of the county. It may be worthwhile for local leaders and industries to determine the human capital attributes of workers who commute to jobs outside the county. By so doing, they could be positioned to determine how best to reduce the leakage of educated and skilled workers to surrounding counties. Of course, this will require expansion in the number of good paying jobs that will help keep these workers in their home county.
The labor shed and commuter shed data offer solid evidence of the value of pursuing economic and workforce development on a regional (multi-county) basis.
The Great Recession that impacted the U.S. economy between 2007 and 2009 took a major toll on Spencer County’s unemployment rate. While the rate was quite low in 2000, it almost tripled to 9.2 percent by Recent figures make clear that the unemployment rate has improved significantly since then.
Along with the increase in the population over the past decade or more, the county’s labor force has grown slightly since Despite growth in the number of residents employed or looking for a job, the unemployment rate has not yet returned to its pre-recession levels. This may be a natural increase due to population growth. It is also possible that an increasing number of unemployed individuals who were discouraged workers previously have reentered the labor market and begun looking for a job now that the state and national economies are doing better.
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37. Notes
OTM (On the Map): OTM, a product of LEHD program, is used in the county snapshot report to develop commuting patterns for a geography from two perspectives: place of residence and place of work. At the highly detailed level of census blocks, some of the data are synthetic to maintain confidentiality of the worker. However, for larger regions mapped at the county level, the commuter shed and labor shed data are fairly reasonable.
OTM includes jobs for a worker employed in the reference as well as previous quarter. Hence, job counts are based on two consecutive quarters (six months) measured at the “beginning of a quarter.” OTM data can differ from commuting patterns developed from state annual income tax returns, which asks a question about “county of residence” and “county of work” on January 1 of the tax-year. OTM can also differ from American Community Survey data, which is based on a sample survey of the resident population.
SAIPE (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates): SAIPE is a U.S. Census Bureau program that provides annual data estimates of income and poverty statistics at various geographic levels. The estimates are used in the administration of federal and state assistance programs. SAIPE utilizes statistical models to estimate data from sample surveys, census enumerations, and administrative records.
LAUS (Local Area Unemployment Statistics): LAUS is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) program that provides monthly and annual labor force, employment and unemployment data by place of residence at various geographic levels. LAUS utilizes statistical models to estimate data values based on household surveys and employer reports. These estimates are updated annually. Annual county- level LAUS estimates do not include seasonal adjustments.
LEHD (Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics): LEHD is a partnership between U.S. Census Bureau and State Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to provide labor market and journey to work data at various geographic levels. LEHD uses Unemployment Insurance earnings data and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages from DWDs and census administrative records related to individuals and businesses.
NETS (National Establishment Time Series): NETS is an establishment-level database, not a company-level database. This means that each entry is a different physical location and company-level information must be created by adding the separate establishment components.

38. Report Contributors This report was prepared by the Purdue Center for Regional Development in partnership with Purdue University Extension.
Report Authors
Elizabeth Dobis
Bo Beaulieu, Ph.D.
Data Analysis
Indraneel Kumar, Ph.D.
Ayoung Kim
Report Design
Tyler Wright

39. FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please contact
Nicholas Held
Community Development Extension Educator
PCRD
Mann Hall, Suite 266
Purdue University
Purdue Extension Community Development (CD) works to strengthen the capacity of local leaders, residents and organizations to work together to develop and sustain strong, vibrant communities. OR
Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) seeks to pioneer new ideas and strategies that contribute to regional collaboration, innovation and prosperity.