Surrounding Area Key Highlights

 Construction Trades constitute five of the Top 25 jobs by employment share and accounted for 11,432 jobs in 2022. Although Lightcast does not project significant growth within this occupation group over the next five years, with 1,501 average annual openings and four jobs earning above average wages (even for the Top 25 jobs) in the area, construction occupations offer a consistent and productive employment option.

 Production Occupations appear in six times in the Top 25 jobs by employment share and range from general assembly to skilled manufacturing jobs. With 13,505 jobs in the region, they account for 21% of employment across the Top 25 jobs. Over the next five years, Lighcast projects the addition of 328 new jobs in production occupations, with an annual average of 2,107 openings in the region. Additionally, 3,811 or 28% of the region’s production workers are ages 55 and older. These demographics signal future demandgrowth inproduction occupations as employers seekyounger workers toreplaceretirees.

 Maintenance and Repair Occupations represent four of the Top 25 jobs, accounting for 11,899 jobs and 19% of total employment in the Top 25 occupations. Lightcast projects growth for maintenance and repair occupations over the next five years to be 3.6%, which represents the estimated addition of 424 new jobs in the area. Median hourly earnings are higher as well, in the range of $20-38 hourly. Retirement risk is also high - 3,718 workers within the occupation group are 55 years old and older, accounting for 31% of occupational workforce. Much like production occupations, employers will need to recruit younger workers to replace impending retirees in maintenance and repair.

 Transportation and Material Moving Occupationsare another solid option for younger demographics. These occupations constituted 7,058 jobs in 2022, which Lightcast projects will grow with the addition of 228 new jobs by 2027. A quarter of current workers in this occupation group fall into the 55 and up age bracket. Regional demand within this group is highest for light truck drivers, with average annual openings of 424 and the projected addition of 193 new jobs in the area over the next five years.