Michiana Partnership releases wage and benefits survey

"The main thing I took away from it, initially, was the optimism," said Regina Emberton, president and CEO of the regional economic development organization. She explained that companies seemed a little more positive about business than they were several years ago. 

The survey examines work force growth and development, providing information on anticipated trends in hiring and wage increases and showing which positions are most difficult to fill. More than 90 percent of participants added workers in the past six months, with 40 percent already planning further employment growth in 2015. It revealed that companies are beginning to think more about starting internal training programs and nearly half of the participants said familiarity with Microsoft Excel is a software skill they need most.

The survey also reports wage and salary figures for 123 different positions and data about benefits including health care costs, retirement, training, vacation and other employment perks. The information, Emberton said, should provide employers with a picture of work force costs in the region and allow them to compare their compensation with competitors.