The Pella Area Community and Economic Alliance is partnering with Iowa Workforce Development and Iowa Economic Development Authority to complete a Laborshed employment study for the Pella area.

This study will geographically define which communities contribute to Pella’s workforce, regardless of political boundaries, and the designated area is based upon commuting patterns.

The purpose of this Laborshed study is to measure the availability and characteristics of Pella area workers. The information provided will help economic development teams and existing or prospective employers understand the local labor market, make informed expansion and site selection decisions, and maintain/recruit a high quality workforce. The PACE Alliance will be sending letters to employers in Pella, asking that they provide aggregate counts of their employees’ residential ZIP codes, which will determine what the scope and scale of Pella’s Laborshed area is and better understand where Pella’s workforce resides. A confidential survey of residents will also be conducted to collect workforce characteristic information specific to the area.

Residents will receive a letter directing them how to take the survey online. 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 for any identifiable information such as: name, social security number, or date of birth.

The results of each analysis are publicly available online at www.iowalmi.gov/laborshed. Those with any questions about the Laborshed project should contact Katie Lippold at 515-281-3035 or Karen Eischen, with the PACE Alliance at 641-628-2626.