Industry clusters are groups of
inter-related industries that drive wealth in a geographic region -
primarily through the export of goods and services.
Industries in a cluster share buyers,
suppliers, processes, and technology. Cluster industries utilize
the same set of skills and tap into the same knowledge base and
workforce in an area. Furthermore, industries within a cluster are
able to share specialized services, networks, and research and
development.
By recognizing the existence of
industry clusters (or the potential for a cluster) in an area,
decision-makers are able to better prepare the workforce, support
cluster growth, and increase wealth in their region.
Some tools that can be used to
determine if a cluster exists are employment and wage trend
analysis, location quotient, shift/share analysis, and emerging
industry cluster analysis.
For more information on industry clusters,
please contact Iowa Workforce Development, Employment Statistics
Bureau, 1000 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50319, (515) 281-5193,
or
email us at
Iowa Link:
Iowa Trends
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Iowa Workforce
Information Network (IWIN)
