Pipestone County Workforce Information

 Pipestone County is in Region 8 of the Minnesota WorkForce Center System. Minnesota WorkForce Centers provide Employer Services and Labor Market Information for the Southwest WorkForce Service Area. You can find the current unemployment rate for Pipestone County, browse resumes for openings and find out about unemployment taxes at the Minnesota Workforce Center Web Site http://www.mnwfc.org . You can also get information by calling 1-888-GET JOBS or visiting a regional workforce center.

Workforce Center - Marshall        Workforce Center - Worthington
607 W. Main Street                                       511 10th Street
Lyon County Courthouse                               Worthington, MN 56187-2342
Marshall, MN 56258                                     Phone: 507.376.3116
Phone: 507.537.6236                                    Fax: 507.376.3630
Fax: 507.537.6362                                        TTY: 507.376.3116
TTY: 507.537.6236                                       Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday

The Pipestone County EDA has partnered with the Southwest Regional Development Commission in a Southwest Minnesota Labor Force Assessment. We would also like to thank the Legislature of the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic Development, the Southwest Minnesota Foundation, the Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council, the Minnesota Department of Economic Security, Pipestone County and the City of Pipestone for financially sponsoring this extensive project. The following information is from a draft of the final report prepared August 15, 2001. We will update this page when the final report is complete.

Southwest Minnesota Labor Force Assessment

1)       Employee Job Details

a)     Hours Worked Per Week (May be more than 1 job) The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the 1999 Average Hours Worked at 39.5 for Wage or Salaried Workers and 43.3 for Self-Employed Agricultural Workers.        

b)       Employment Tenure at Primary Job

     *   The median employment tenure at a primary job in Pipestone County is 6 years, compared to 7 years in Region 8. The U.S. median is between 3.6 years.

     *   The average employment tenure is 10.5 years in Pipestone County, compared to 12 years in Region 8. The U.S. average is 4.8 years.

      *   In Pipestone County, 37% of respondents reported working at their primary job for three years or less, compared to 34% in Region 8. U.S. is 40%.

     *    In Pipestone County, 24% of respondents reported working at their primary job for 16 years or more, compared with 29% in Region 8. U.S. is 15.4%.

c)       Number of Employers

d)       Workers’ Annual Salary

In Pipestone County, the largest portion of workers reported receiving an annual pre-tax salary of $20,000 to $40,000 at their primary job. All hourly workers’ salaries were calculated assuming a 40-hour workweek.

e)       Job Benefits Offered to Full and Part-Time Workers

i)         Medical Benefits

ii)       Life Insurance

iii)      Contributions to Retirement Plans

iv)      Paid Vacations

f)         Part-Time Workers Seeking More Hours

i)     In Pipestone County, 62% of part-time workers would be willing to work more hours, compared to 59% in Region 8.

ii)   Of those part-time employees willing to work more hours, 47% reported they would be willing to work 10 more hours, compared to 46% in Region 8. 

g)       Main Reasons People Work Part-Time

There are a number of reasons why people work part-time. Respondents cited the following situations as their main reason for working part-time.

h)       Self-Reported Reasons for Not Working

Of the respondents currently looking for work residing in Pipestone County, the majority (54%) are seeking full-time employment, compared to 61% in Region 8.

i)         Employee Preferences

Survey respondents rated the importance of different employment factors when considering a job.

2)       Workforce Demographics

a)       Education Level of Respondents 25 or Older

b)       Education Related to Job

i)         55% of working respondents in Pipestone County reported that their educational training is related to their job, compared to 53% in Region 8.

ii)       10% reported that their educational training is higher than required for their job, compared to 11% in Region 8.

iii)      35% reported that their educational training is in a different field than their current job, compared to 34% in Region 8.

c)       Willingness to Further Occupational Training

i)         In Pipestone County, 60% of respondents reported they would seek additional occupational training if it meant obtaining a better job even in a different field, compared to 58% in Region 8.

d)       Households With Children Under 13

i)         In Pipestone County, 67% of households reported having no children under 13, compared to 73% in Region 8.

ii)       In Pipestone County, 27% reported having one or two children under 13, compared to 21% in Region 8.

iii)      In Pipestone County, 6% of households reported having three or more children under the age of 13, with the same percent in Region8.

e)       Commuting Patterns

The commuting patterns for Pipestone County and Southwest Minnesota were tabulated to depict one-way travel to work measured in time and distance.

i)         Commuting Data: Time

ii)       Commuting Data: Distance

f)         Commuter Preferences

Residents of Pipestone County and Southwest Minnesota provided salary requirements needed to change commute time.

i)         Employed

How much more* (in dollars per hour) would it take to entice a worker to commute a longer distance? How much less** would a worker accept to take a job with a shorter commute?