Will County releases third quarter economic update

Unemployment rate decreases, wage rate increases

     Will County has released its economic update for the third quarter. Key highlights include a four percent growth in healthcare and social assistance jobs and an overall wage increase of more than nine percent over the past two years.

     “Will County continues to add quality jobs across various sectors,” said Will County Executive Larry Walsh. “In addition to the growth in the healthcare profession, we have also seen large growth in information technology and education jobs.”

     Walsh attributes this economic success to the continued appeal of doing business in Will County. He noted the county’s strategic location, business friendly climate and skilled workforce as the county’s most important assets.

     “More and more companies are recognizing the success that is Will County,” he said. “We continue to improve our county infrastructure to enable the easier transport of goods to market. We are also streamlining our policies, such as creating an online business permitting process, to keep our county a great place to operate a business.”

     These jobs offered in Will County are at a competitive salary, averaging $20 per hour for skilled occupations. More than 7,200 new jobs have been created in the county in the last year.

     “We are fortunate in Will County to have a strong Workforce Services Division that connects employers with qualified applicants,” Walsh said. “And we are proud of the work that John Greuling and the Center for Economic Development do to attract quality businesses to our county.”

     Greuling said the first question potential business partners ask about Will County, “is do you have qualified workers?”

     “Will County’s location and infrastructure are still important attributes but now the primary concern of business owners is, ‘will I be able to find workers to fill these positions?’ That is a big factor in determining where to have a business.”

     Walsh said in addition to connecting employers with qualified applicants, the Workforce Services Division of Will County does an excellent job of offering training for residents.

     “I invite anyone looking for a job, seeking to improve their skills set, or any business looking for employees to visit the website: www.jobs4people.com. There are many opportunities out there, and we are ready to help.”