General Information: (312) 353-1880      For Immediate Release:
Media Contact: Paul LaPorte              Thursday, October 11, 2007
              (312) 353-1138
http://www.bls.gov/ro5


                 HIGHLIGHTS OF ELKHART-GOSHEN, IN
            NATIONAL COMPENSATION SURVEY SEPTEMBER 2006
                                 
     Workers in the Elkhart-Goshen metropolitan area averaged
$16.45 per hour during September 2006, according to new survey
results from the National Compensation Survey (NCS) released by
the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Regional Commissioner Jay A. Mousa reported average hourly
earnings of $29.00 for management, professional, and related
workers and $17.06 for natural resources, construction, and
maintenance workers.  Production, transportation, and material
moving workers averaged $15.54 an hour; sales and office workers,
$13.50; and service workers, $9.92.  [See table 1.  Note:
Occupational aggregations are now based on the 2000 Standard
Occupational Classification (SOC) system.]

     In the Elkhart area, production, transportation, and
material moving workers represented the largest group in the
survey at 45 percent of the workforce.  Sales and office workers
accounted for 22 percent; management, professional, and related,
14 percent; and service workers, 12 percent.  Natural resources,
construction, and maintenance accounted for the remainder.

     The NCS provides straight-time earnings data for occupations
in establishments with one or more workers in private industry
and State and local governments employing 50 or more employees.
This NCS survey covered 217 establishments representing an
estimated 126,800 workers in the Elkhart-Goshen, IN Metropolitan
Area which is comprised of Elkhart County.  Agricultural
establishments, private households, the self-employed, and the
Federal Government were excluded from the survey.

     In the Elkhart area, average hourly wages were published for
full-time workers in a number of detailed occupations.  General
maintenance and repair workers earned $16.18 per hour;
woodworking machine setters, operators and tenders, except
sawing, $13.29; bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks,
$12.90; and packers and packagers averaged $11.88 an hour.  (See
table 2.)

     The NCS also provides broad coverage of selected
occupational characteristics.  Establishments in the Elkhart area
with 1-99 workers averaged $15.51 and those in establishments
with 100-499 workers earned $15.73; workers in establishments
with 500 or more employees earned $18.89.  Full-time workers
averaged $17.23 per hour while their part-time counterparts
earned $9.23.  (See table 1.)

     The NCS provides comprehensive measures of occupational
earnings, compensation cost trends, benefit incidence, and
detailed plan provisions.  In addition to the locality
occupational earnings shown in this release, the Employment Cost
Index (ECI) component measures changes in labor costs at the
national and regional levels.  Similarly, average employer costs
for employee compensation are available from the Employer Cost
for Employee Compensation (ECEC) series and details on benefits
incidences and provisions are available from the Employee
Benefits Survey (EBS).  The occupational wage data may be used by
businesses for establishing pay plans, making decisions
concerning plant relocation, and in collective bargaining
negotiations.  Individuals may use such data to help choose
potential careers.  Details on the NCS are available at
http://www.bls.gov/ncs/home.htm.

Survey Availability

     Complete survey results are contained in the Elkhart-Goshen,
IN National Compensation Survey September 2006 (Bulletin 3135-
66).  While supplies last, single copies of the bulletin are
available from the Chicago Information Office by calling 312-353-
1880.  In addition, data contained in the bulletin are available
on the Internet in both text and PDF formats at
http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/compub.htm.

     For personal assistance or further information on the
National Compensation Survey, as well as other Bureau programs,
contact the Chicago Information Office at (312) 353-1880 from
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
                                 
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Last Modified Date: October 11, 2007