The Lehigh Valley is now competing with Philadelphia & New York for higher educated workforce.

Lehigh Valley, PA January 29, 2008 - Kevin Flemming, the President of the Lehigh Valley staffing company, Integrity Personnel, Inc., presented an exclusive workforce report to the local business community during the 2008 Economic Outlook sponsored by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. This is the 6th year that the Chamber has produced this event, and the luncheon drew more that 800 business executives to hear economic experts analyze the current state of the economy.

After the keynote speaker, Dr. John Silvia of Wachovia Corp. gave a macro view on the economic climate, participants listened to Flemming outline three critical trends within the region’s labor force that impact local employers’ ability to attract the right talent to their companies. He explained to the audience (made up of large company executives and small business owners) that the Lehigh Valley has become more competitive with surrounding metropolitan regions in the past 10 years.

The trends that Flemming’s firm has observed include significant movement in the mean annual wages paid to employees in the region. The wage gap, which he described as the difference between average salaries in our region compared with other cities, has been noticeably shrinking since 1998. One example he provided was that accountants working in New York City made almost 17% more than their peers in the Lehigh Valley in 1998. Today the difference is just under 8%. Flemming claimed that similar shifts have occurred in nearly every occupational category and that the shrinking gap in wages helps local employers recruit and retain more experienced employees.

Other trends highlighted in the report included the measurable effects of more employees from surrounding regions having relocated to the Lehigh Valley and the increased availability of college graduates entering the workforce from the region’s 10 colleges. Flemming closed his report with a recommendation of specific actions that local employers should take during this period of market constriction. He said that retention and compensation are areas that require employer’s attention and that a slowdown in business should be an opportunity for training and development that improves workforce productivity.