Workforce Information

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Work Environment
Ogallala, Nebraska, located in Keith County in the panhandle of western Nebraska, has an estimated population of 4,920, with a county population of 8,330.  The Nebraska Department of Workforce Development estimates the total labor force of Keith County and the contiguous Nebraska counties of Deuel, Garden, Grant, Hooker, Arthur, McPherson, Dundy, Chase, Hays, Cheyenne, Lincoln, and Perkins, as well as Sedgwick, Logan, Phillips, and Yuma counties in Colorado as 62,998.  See attached Community Profile and Trucking Map

Availability of Workers
The Ogallala and Keith County labor area would be able to provide a significant number of dedicated and skilled workers to meet the needs of additional employers in the area.  It is anticipated that if attractive working conditions with competitive wages and employee benefits were offered, a prospective new employer would be able to select their workforce from a substantial pool of applicants.

Keith County offers new employers access to a well-educated, high quality workforce that extends beyond the county borders.  Survey results show that the area workforce has strong computer skills and satisfactory basic skills. New employers will likely draw their labor resources from already-employed residents, specifically from the large pool of underemployed residents, while a smaller component will be drawn from residents currently not employed but interested in working.  Residents are eager to learn new skills, evidenced by the high proportion of workers interested in accepting new positions if it required additional training for new skill development. 

39% of currently employed workers or feel they are underemployed and qualify for a better job than they are currently holding.  22.2% of those that consider themselves underemployed report having management/administration skills and 11.1% report having clerical and administrative skills.  46% of employed residents are interested in training to acquire new job skills.  In addition to the underemployed, 66.7% of not-employed residents are interested in working.  A significant number of underemployed and not-employed residents would be willing to travel considerable distances for new and better job opportunities.  Employers in the Keith County labor area report a strong work ethic and high productivity, particularly compared to company’s sites elsewhere in the country.  See attached Labor Area Map

Wages/Salary Information
Companies will benefit from a highly productive, dedicated workforce exhibiting a strong work ethic at wage levels that offer labor cost savings relative to other parts of the country.  Competitive wages for entry-level positions for a warehousing operation would start at $9.50 per hour.  At these rates, an employer can attract a high-quality, skilled, and productive workforce.  Additionally, unionization is minimal.  None of the employers in Keith County have a union presence or unionizing attempts.

Average annual wages for all non-farm and salary employees in the Ogallala Labor Area were $6,162 less that the Nebraska average, with Keith County average annual salaries $7,632 less.  The median household income for Keith County is $32,325 and the Nebraska average is $39,250, compared to the national US average of $41,994.  The median family income for Keith County is $39,118, while the Nebraska average is $48,032 compared to the national US average of $50,046.  See attached Wage Information

Turnover Statistics
A survey of the top employers in Keith County shows that they consider their turnover rate to be below average.  The highest annual turnover percentage rate, which was reported by the employer with the lowest entry-level wages at $6.35 per hour, was 20%.  The average turnover rate of the businesses surveyed was 15%.  In addition, the businesses reported that the quality and work ethic of their employees was above average.

Largest Employers
The largest employers, excluding the schools and governmental entities, in Keith County are:

            American Shizuki Corporation, Manufacturing, 207 Employees
            Ogallala Community Hospital, Health Care, 134 Employees  
            RCS, Computer Software Design, 74 Employees
            Titan Industries, Manufacturing, 65 Employees

Nebraska Workforce Development

Department of Labor

Keith County Jobs

Nebraska Job Link