The local municipal organization Nodaway County Economic Development recently completed a labor shed study which looked at employment and economics in the region. Project Manager at NCED Kim Mildward presented the findings at a recent meeting of the Maryville City Council. She said the study had multiple purposes.
" That allows us in the city to know, for instance, are people coming here just to work? Are they also coming into town and are they going to like our local grocery stores or other retail outlets to buy food? Are they using other services in town as well?", says Mildward.
Additional goals were to examine childcare access, and to identify challenges for employers in the region with a focus on manufacturers. Talking with businesses, access to workers came up again and again as a major challenge. Mildward says Nodaway County has been at full employment for almost 30 years making it hard for businesses to hire. Often qualified workers pursue jobs elsewhere, she said.
Mildward says, " Other communities probably within the region are bedroom communities of Maryville. So definitely our smaller communities in Nottaway County are, and then some of the other communities in our outlining or surrounding counties are definitely what would be considered bedroom communities to Maryville."
It is also important to keep those graduates in the workforce. Many highly educated women have left the workforce in order to care for children, says Mildward.
"80% of our non-workers have a college degree. Women are three times more likely to leave the workforce due to childcare issues. In Nodaway County alone, women are most likely to enroll in college, and they are most likely to earn a degree. So we've got to fix the childcare issue. If we can fix the childcare issue alone, we start to solve our labor set.", says Mildward.
Providing more access to childcare would allow women to re-enter the work force, which is key for sustaining the region's economy.
The study includes a number of recommendations to increase childcare access in the region and further the area's economic development.
