Charleston region scores high for available skilled workforce

According to a recent workforce report by Dallas, Texas-based firm The Pathfinders, employers considering locating to the Charleston area would be able to attract employees from a pool of about 64,500 “potentially available” workers. The report was compiled from survey data gathered from respondents in Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester and eastern Orangeburg counties.

As a corporate site-selection consultant, Pathfinders conducted the survey in order to determine if the Charleston region has the workforce needed to support an employer considering locating to the area. While Pathfinders did not identify which company hired them to produce the July 2002 report, the firm has previously conducted site searches to identify optimum locations for such clients as AT&T, DuPont, 3M Corp. and Ciba-Geigy, among others.

According to Pathfinders, the primary source of good employees for large companies moving to the area are the “underemployed,” or those individuals who would take a better job if offered by a new or existing employer and who possess the skills, education and experience to qualify them for a better job.

The report determined that, in addition to the 13,400 unemployed individuals in this region, approximately 64,500 workers could be identified as underemployed. Pathfinders survey also discovered that over 18,000 underemployed workers would change jobs for $10.99 per hour or less and 50% would change jobs for $14.13 per hour or less.

Of the 64,500 workers identified by the report, 37% have some college experience and another 25% have earned four-year college degrees.

Underemployed workers might also be termed “upgraders,” says the report. They desire to move into a better job and appear to possess the skills, education and experience to enable them to do so. The pay rates for these upgraders range from just under $7 to over $25 per hour.

Additionally, Pathfinders surveyed workers about experience and skills in order to provide data for employers that fall into one or more of the following groups:

– Manufacturing, assembly, fabrication or other industrial operations.

– Office, data processing, call centers or other “white collar” operations.

– Distribution or transport operations.

– Operations related to sales or customer service and other public interface.

The Pathfinders also developed an analysis of existing employers’ views of the workforce in the region by conducting interviews with senior management and human resource professionals from companies in the area. Employers interviewed were asked to provide subjective views of their workers, measurements of labor productivity, availability, attitudes and costs.

According to the report, the Charleston area received high marks for productivity and many of the companies interviewed stated that their local operations compared favorably with operations in other locations in terms of profitability and production. Most companies also judged absenteeism and turnover to be low. Interestingly, Pathfinders reports that the tri-county area received even higher marks in these areas than other regions across the nation where it has conducted similar surveys.

Some 49% of employers interviewed stated that the availability of skilled workers is good to excellent and 90% said the availability of unskilled workers is good to excellent.

Although Pathfinders did not disclose which prospective employer hired its firm to conduct the surveys, its findings indicate a sizeable skilled workforce—a draw for larger companies considering moving to the area.