CALIFORNIA: Daviess County’s economy appears to be caught in an odd predicament. While the county’s unemployment rate remains one of the lowest in the state at 3.8 percent, its per capita median income of $20,254 is ranked 73rd among the 92 counties in Indiana. Neighboring counties also are struggling with low incomes even with a very tight labor market.
While officials believe that unemployment in the area may be higher and incomes may be larger than reported, there are still efforts under way to find ways to increase paychecks in the area. Daviess County’s reliance on agriculture and its related industries has created a stable supply of work, but at the same time officials believe the county needs to look at other options.
“There is no doubt that we need to look to diversify our job opportunities,” said Ron Arnold, executive director of Daviess County Economic Development Corporation. “That is especially true at the Tech Park at West gate. We are working on initiatives that will help us take advantage of developing technologies there. We still have some things to do including building closer relationships to our colleges and universities, but we are positioning ourselves to take full advantage of that technology growth.”
Just who might be able to take advantage of any kind of economic development and job growth in the area may depend on who has the proper skills. The Southern Indiana Development Commission has put together a four-county coalition seeking a $250,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs to put together a job training program to prepare residents to work in the defense industry and related companies.
