By Katie Rogers, Truth Staff
ELKHART -- Indiana's economy relies on manufacturing more than any other state in the country, experts say.
"We're a lower-cost economy," said Kevin McNamara, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University. "So a higher-skilled laborer would cost less here than in another region. That gives us an advantage."
So who is doing the work?
According to the 2005 Census, nearly 22,000 men and almost 8,000 women are employed in production jobs in the manufacturing sector of Elkhart County's economy. That's a higher number than any other among 20 sectors of employment.
Carol Rogers, deputy director of the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University, calculated that women in Elkhart County's manufacturing jobs earn 85 cents to each dollar made by men.
She said Elkhart County's ratio is higher any other area of the state. And for that matter, added Rogers, higher than what's found in the rest of the nation. Rogers said the median salary for men in production in Elkhart County is $32,330. Women made $27,468.
Information regarding the cultural makeup of Elkhart County's manufacturing industry is unavailable, with the 2005 Census reporting that numbers for non-white workers in the area are too small to calculate.
Looking at statewide data, however, provides a snapshot: 2,129 are Asian; 10,557 are Hispanic; 11,122 are African-American and 117,612 working production jobs in Indiana are white.
Jorge Campos, a Goshen resident who started in an entry-level production job in Elkhart nearly 16 years ago, said that the numbers might be a bit different for Elkhart County because of the influx of immigrants in recent years.
"Everybody applies," said Campos. "But you might have Anglo-Saxon people who last two days. You might have an African-American who doesn't think 12 dollars is enough pay. You have people just leave the first break. It bothers me when people say Mexicans are taking American jobs."
McNamara added that the addition of this particular brand of skilled laborer is a positive influence on Indiana's economy.
"In many cases (immigrants) are allowing firms to maintain and sustain operations," said McNamara. "These are in labor force areas that are very difficult to attract people at the wage scale they're hiring at. They're filling the gaps that aren't being met by the existing work force."