Labor market information (LMI) is any information that describes a labor area in terms of its jobs, workers, prevailing wages, industrial structure, major employers or economic conditions. This information facilitates the match between workers and jobs. 

Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) is the state’s largest producer of LMI. While actual production of the data resides with IWD, technical assistance is provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. The data are collected, analyzed and disseminated by the Division of Workforce Center Administration of IWD. LMI is generated from surveys, household surveys and various databases maintained within the agency. Basic LMI products include:

• Commuting Patterns

• Cost of Living Information

• Demographic Statistics (age, gender, race, etc.)

• Economic Conditions and Trends

• Employer Data by Industry and Size Class

• Hours and Earnings Data by Industry

• Industrial and Occupational Employment and Projections

• Labor Force Statistics (employment, unemployment, etc.)

• Occupational Data by Gender and Race

• Occupational Wage Rates 

          LMI provides valuable information to:

Economic Developers

• How their area wages compare to others

• The number of available workers

• The skills of available workers

• Available training needed by workers

Educators

• The types of jobs that will be available when their students graduate

• Where those jobs will be located

• The skill requirements of those jobs

• The salary those jobs will pay

• What jobs will not exist in the future

• Training opportunities

Employers

• How much to pay employees

• What benefits to offer

• The availability of workers

• Local and national economic conditions

• The need to expand or downsize

• New goods or services they may wish to offer 

Government Agencies

• Economic activity and overall health of economy

• How many workers are unemployed

• If workers are unemployed due to industrial policy or international trade

• Additional workforce training needs

• Average wages paid by occupation or industry

Job Seekers

• Types Of Jobs In Demand

• Skills the jobs require

• Types of available training

• Cost of living where the jobs are located

• How much the positions pay

• Projections of growth or decline in a particular profession

Source: National Association of State Workforce Agencies


A greater emphasis is being placed on the role of LMI since both the national and statewide labor forces are undergoing significant change.

• Expanding technology in the workplace drives the need for workers to obtain more education and skills.  Underskilled workers are having a harder time locating jobs, as more than half of Iowa's jobs now require a postsecondary education.  Earnings are increasingly linked to education and skill level.  

• Iowa's labor pool is decreasing due to early retirement, economic globalization, fewer women and youth entering the workforce, migration out of the state, and increased demands on skill level. 

• Census 2000 figures indicate Iowa’s population and the labor force are aging, as one might expect with the baby boom generation beginning to retire.  Among the 50 states, Iowa has the 4th highest proportion of people age 65 and over.  This will have implications for job opportunities in healthcare in the coming years. 

• Iowa’s labor force is becoming more diverse, particularly due to the influx of Hispanics.  The state is not, however, diversifying as rapidly as other states. 

Consider, also, the changes in work and organizational beliefs over the years:
 

CHANGES IN WORK
OLD	NEW
Brawn/Metal Bending	Brain/Mind Bending
Mass Production	Small Lots
Competitive Standards Based on Cost	Competitive Standards Based on Quality, Variety, & Timeliness
Standardization	Customization
Hierarchies	Teams
Job Security-Seniority	Job Security-Skills
Job-specific Skills	Broad Skills
Limited Competition	Global Competition
One-Employer Career	Multiple Employers
Benefits Tied to Employer	Benefits That Are Portable
Pay for Time Served	Pay for Performance
Big Bureaucracies	Small, Flexible Organizations
Government Solutions	Public/Private Partnerships
"Go It Alone"	Strategic Alliances
Source: Robert T. Jones, President, CEO, National Alliance of Business

 

CHANGES IN ORGANIZATIONAL BELIEFS
TRADITIONAL BELIEFS:	EMERGING BELIEFS:
Valuing loyalty and tenure:  - Acceptable career patterns show stability of employment  - Loyalty to a company is regarded by tenure with the company  - Personal sacrifices are often necessary "for the good of the company"	Valuing commitment and performance:  - Acceptable career patterns show commitment to personal ideals; loyalty to these ideals results in the development of confidence  - Value is placed on making contributions and for being adaptable to new demands  - Team contributions and team loyalty are important
Growth:  - Growth is equated with promotions; climbing the corporate ladder equals success	Growth:  - Growth is associated with personal development and meaningfulness, and typically involves broadening one's knowledge and skill base
Employee Development:  - Organizations focus on employee development; individuals focus on career paths within an organization and seek security by acquiring the skills the organization deems important; the organization is responsible for employees' career development	Personal Development:  -Organizations focus on personal development; a work place that encourages on-going learning and development of employees will be the most successful; responsibility for career development rests with the individual
Permanence:  - The longer the tenure, the better; personal security associates with 'permanent' employment; one should stay with the same employer for a long time	Transience:  - Security is now linked to personal competence and adaptability; one is unlikely to stay in the same setting for very long
Organizational Model:  - Organization is compared to a nuclear family; "Mom & Dad" (the senior management) will take care of us	Organizational Model:  - Organization is compared to extended family; partnerships and networks are important, and services are shared
Organizational Structure:  - Structure is based on a hierarchy of positions, which leads to the use of defined jobs	Organizational Structure:  - Structure is based on work that needs to be done, which leads to the use of contracts, alliances, and networks
Adapted from: B. Day and K. Copithorne, Radical Change in the World of Work: The Backgrounder, Alberta Advanced Education and Career Development, Edmonton. 1995.

These ongoing changes continue to pose new challenges to Iowa's efforts in matching workers with available jobs and in assimilating its varied individuals.  

Let LMI help serve your needs. The LMI Directory contains topics of interest by subject or product name. You may contact us for a publication, for further assistance, or explore hundreds of Web sites. 

Workforce Data and Business Development Bureau
Iowa Workforce Development
1000 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa   50319-0209
Phone: (515) 281-5116
Fax: (515) 281-8203
Email:

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Iowa Workforce Information Network (IWIN)