Workforce Data

• Right to Work State

• Area Labor Study

• Employment Skills of Underemployed Workers

• Employment Experience of Underemployed Workers

• Labor/Workforce Contacts

Right to Work State

A Right to Work State is generally defined as a state that does not require employees to join a Union as a condition of receiving or retaining a job. Click here for the benefits of a Right-to-Work State.

Area Labor Study

The Pathfinders Group in Memphis, Tennessee, performed an evaluation of the labor quality and availability within the Northwest Tennessee/Southwest Kentucky area and analyzed the underemployed and potential re-entry workforce. The analysis spanned parts of six counties in Tennessee and three in Kentucky (i.e. Henry, Weakly, Gibson, Dyer, Obion, and Lake in Tennessee and Hickman, Fulton, and part of Graves County in Kentucky).

According to the study, Obion County offers the following workforce:

• Area population/labor force - The Northwest Tennessee/Southwest Kentucky area, referred to as the "labor shed", has a household population of approximately 259,300 and a civilian labor force of approximately 122,300.

• Unemployed - The labor shed has a pool of approximately 8,300 unemployed persons who are actively seeking work.

• Underemployed - A new employer will be able to attract employees from an additional pool of about 14,100 workers. These individuals are currently employed and have indicated an interest in changing jobs. These potentially available workers are referred to as "underemployed" because they appear to possess the skills, experience, and education to qualify them for the pay rates at which they would take a new job.

• Pay Rate - The desire pay rates of these underemployed workers are reasonable when compared to their existing pay rates. The median current pay rate of the underemployed workers is $13.15 per hour, and the median desired pay rate of the underemployed workers is $15.18 per hour. About 25% of the underemployed workers would take a new job for $10.48 per hour or less. At the upper end, the 25% most qualified and experienced will command more than $21.45 per hour.

• Re-entry Workers - Roughly 3,100 people, neither employed nor seeking work, might re-enter the workforce for the proper job.

• Total Available Workers - In total, the Northwest Tennessee/Southwest Kentucky area has 22,500 available workers for new or expanding businesses.

Employment Skills of Underemployed Workers

Employment Experience of Underemployed Workers

Labor/Workforce Contacts