hese pages give a full picture of es- sential tools for business managers, economic developers, and workforce development professionals in conducting a fast and comprehensive analysis of work- force and economic conditions in Northwest Indiana.

Regional Labor Force
Northwest Indiana has 848,000 residents, a labor force of 407,000 individuals, and some 17,740 businesses. In 2006, North- west Indiana supported 319,170 jobs, and, in addition, nearly 73,000 Northwest Indiana residents traveled daily during 2005 to jobs outside the region, many of them in neighboring Illinois.

Earnings for NWI Workers
The average earnings during 2006 for Northwest Indiana workers stood at $35,572 annually, comprising 97.7 per-  cent of Indiana's statewide average wage during '06.

Economic Growth Region 1
As Economic Growth Region 1, Northwest Indiana includes seven counties (Jasper, Lake, La Porte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski and Starke).

Population Numbers
In 2006, individuals of college age (18 to 24) comprised 9.4 percent (79,411) of the Northwest Indiana population, young adults (25 to 44) represented 26.2 percent (222,487), and older adults (45 to 64) made up 26.6 percent (225,845).  You will find up-to-date information on the following topics.

Population

Education

Firms

Industry Employment

Labor Force

Earning & Wages

Commuting Patterns