By Krista Klaus of LSEDC

Lee’s Summit employers enjoy access to an available workforce of more than 550,000 people, many of whom are willing to commute at least 30 minutes a day. Those are among the findings of a 2018 Labor Shed study commissioned and released by the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council (LSEDC).

“With the economy at full employment, access to a reliable and plentiful workforce is a top concern for many companies,” said LSEDC President Rick McDowell. “This study will help us recruit and retain growing companies. In short, the data assures companies that they will not have to compete for talent or face rising wages due to a competitive job market.”

The study also found that the number of well-paying jobs in Lee’s Summit has expanded over the past five years– with IT, medical and technology-related manufacturing jobs leading the way.

Computer systems design services jobs on average pay $107,000, and that industry added the most jobs in Lee’s Summit from 2012-2017. Hospitals and semiconductor manufacturing jobs pay on average $83,000 a year and accounted for almost 470 new positions.

“The quality of jobs that Lee’s Summit is adding is exciting,” said Jessica Hamilton, LSEDC director of community and investor relations. “Our challenge now is to make sure that Lee’s Summit’s highly educated workforce stays near home and plugs into those opportunities.”

Additional findings from the Lee’s Summit Labor Shed Study:
•The Lee’s Summit labor force is comprised of 71,500 people.
•The Labor Force Participation Rate in Lee’s Summit is 71.5%, above the national average.•Over 73% of jobs available in Lee’s Summit are filled by people who live outside the area.
•The average annual wage in Lee’s Summit is $59,200, or $28.46/hour.

The LSEDC commissioned the 2018 Labor Shed Study to provide community leaders, economic developers, site selectors and existing or prospective employers a flexible tool for understanding the workforce characteristics of the local labor market. The study was produced by Emsi for the LSEDC and based on independent data provided to that service.

You may access the full report online at www.leessummit.org.

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