What Employers Should Know about the Local Workforce 

In the latest COBA poll, the Bureau of Business Research & Economic Development at Georgia Southern University analyzed the local workforce and workforce issues from the worker’s perspective. In particular, the poll examined how workers entered the job market, along with their perceptions and decisions about benefits.

The current business environment, from the workforce perspective, is fairly healthy. When respondents were asked about job satisfaction, both male and female respondents gave high ratings; on a scale of 1 to 10 the average was approximately 8. Importantly, female and college graduate respondents indicated higher job satisfaction than their counterparts.

When asked about how difficult it was to find their current jobs or positions, the overall response was moderately difficult, only 4.2 out of a maximum 10; however, the study did show men perceived it to be slightly more difficult to find a job than did women, 4.7 vs. 3.8, respectively.

Businesses within the Coastal Empire and Low Country may be surprised to learn that newspapers, a traditional approach to finding a job, and the Internet were among the two least used methods for seeking employment, as reflected in Figure 1. The most used method of finding a job, indicated by 39 percent of respondents, was asking friends and family. The second most frequent approach, 22.7 percent of respondents, was through associations and contacts, and the third most frequent approach, 20.8 percent of respondents, was other, including trade magazines, bulletin boards, and company newsletters.

The worker’s perception of the relative importance of various factors in accepting a new job, or position, is reflected in Figure 2. It is clear, from Figure 2, the most important factor in the decision related to accepting a new job is matching the skills, talents, and abilities of the worker to the position. The second most important factor, however, varies between men and women. For women, the second most important factor appears to be location of the employer relative to residence, while, for men, it appears to be the employer’s reputation, better job opportunity, or salary/wage offered. Interestingly, the salary or wage offered was fourth most important among females.

The relative importance of job benefits to the workforce is reflected in Figure 3. When looking at the overall labor force in the area, the most important benefit to employees was health insurance. The two second most important benefits were a retirement plan and flextime. It should be noted the benefits were not considered mutually exclusive. With that said, it is interesting the labor force indicates flextime, the ability to choose a work schedule such as a condensed work week, was so highly valued.

When looking at the benefits from the male and female perspectives, two items of particular interest emerge. First, the female respondents placed a high importance on health insurance, and, second, they also placed a high importance on paid vacations.

Other benefits receiving lower relative importance were stock options, profit sharing, transportation assistance, cafeteria or break room, telecommuting, health club onsite, and company provided childcare.

The 270 respondents in this study were randomly selected from both the Coastal Empire and Low Country. Most, 49.8 percent, had lived in the area for more than 20 years. Just more than half, 56 percent, were female and approximately 69 percent had no children (under 18) living at home. The largest two race categories were white, 79 percent, and black, 15 percent. The highest three responses to highest educational attainment were high school graduate (22.7%), some college (29.2%), and college graduate (29%). For more detailed information on the study, visit www.cobapoll.livingoak.org/.

A complementary survey on workforce issues is now being conducted on businesses in the Coastal Empire and Low Country. You can participate in this survey by logging onto www.cobapoll.livingoak.org/. It has parallel questions to those of the resident poll discussed here and additional questions pertaining to the supply and demand of labor.

by E. James Randall and Jeremy Hill

Biographies:
E. James Randall is a professor of marketing who has been at Georgia Southern since 1982. His teaching interests are in the area of sales and marketing. He was the founding editor of the Journal of Marketing Theory & Practice and the founding president of the Association of Marketing Theory & Practice, a meeting that hosts 100 marketing professors from around the country each year. Dr. Randall is also a retired captain in the Supply Corp of the United States Navy Reserve. His e-mail is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Jeremy Hill is assistant director of Georgia Southern University’s Bureau of Business Research and Economic Development. He has conducted research projects for businesses, local governments, and non profits in Southeast Georgia for more than five years. Mr. Hill may be reached by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .