Workforce Qualities

“I couldn’t ask for a better labor force. They are skilled, they want to work, and they really put 60 minutes worth of work into every hour of the day. They are very motivated to make us do well.” Malcolm Geffen, CEO, DSFI, Honesdale We understand the importance of workforce quality to your business decisions. With so much riding on a business relocation or expansion, it is simply not enough to say that our workforce is the best. That’s why our marketing partner, Penn’s Northeast, has requested numerous studies in recent years to determine how we compare to other regional workforces. Without question, the results show that Northeastern PA 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 Emerging Workforce Educational Attainment Turnover and Absenteeism Unionization WORK ETHIC Moran, Stahl & Boyer and The Wadley Donovan Group have both analyzed the region’s ability to attract and grow financial serves 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 “Turnover rates varied by employer and type of job, but in general, were considered lower than average for comparable situations. Employees were generally very loyal to their employers – more so than in other regions of the country." Source: Moran Stahl & Boyer Most office employers in the region have a 40-hour workweek, which can translate to significant savings versus 35 hour and 37.5 hour workweeks typical in many other parts of the Northeast. Source: The Wadley Donovan Group Click on the following to access regional studies sponsored by Penn’s Northeast: An assessment of Northeastern PA’s financial services by Moran, Stahl & Boyer A white paper which details the many reasons why a NYC-based financial services company should relocate to Northeast PA Back to Top EMERGING WORKFORCE During Fall 2004, over 50,000 students were enrolled in Higher Educations institutions located within the region. Northeastern Pennsylvania is rich with colleges, universities, and technical schools that offer renowned and innovative educational opportunities and add to our vitality, creativity, 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 education programs. Visit our Training Providers page for a list of educational institutions serving the region. Back to Top Back to top 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 a reflection of our region’s electronic industry. A study done by national 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 (i.e., employees that have been employed for less than one year) is typically less than 10% on average, which is low, compared to other WDG-studied areas.” The Wadley-Donovan Group, Fall 2005 Back to Top UNIONIZATION “A new facility locating in the five-county Penn’s Northeast region would face a minimal threat of unionization.” The Wadley-Donovan Group, Dec. 2005 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. National consultants Wadley & Donovan evaluated regional labor management 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 been unionized. Wayne County had no new unions or work stoppages during this time period. A COMPARISON OF PRIVATE-SECTOR UNION MEMBERSHIP RATES AMONG SEVEN NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES LOCATIONS (2004) Back to Top