"As the second-largest employer in Collier County, it was important for us to participate in the survey," says Ulfig, the system's employment director. Now she finds the results and other regional information available at the survey's Web site incredibly helpful-and a great recruiting tool with regional industry data.

Completed earlier this year, the survey targeted more than 5,000 businesses with 10 or more employees to provide a forecast of Southwest Florida's future job growth and salary ranges for specific occupations. More than 1,700 responded.

"The data from this survey will allow us to do a better job of matching employers with qualified job candidates and determine which training programs should receive priority," says Joe Paterno, executive director of the Southwest Florida Workforce Development Board. "In the current economy, employers are having more and more difficulty finding good people with the job skills they need. Businesses are seeking real-time data-

they need information they can use now, not information that is projected a year from now."

Employers, job seekers and training providers can access for free the largest database ever assembled of current information, including which jobs are in demand in Southwest Florida, what they pay and where they are located. Through the site-www.usworks.com/southwestflorida-the board hopes that employers will gain instant access to timely labor market information to help determine whether their wages and benefits are competitive compared to other companies in their industry. The findings also identify local growth trends industry --by industry.

"Employers can access information pertaining to individual jobs and retrieve data such as average benefits package, turnover rate, common means of recruitment, average salary. Statistics can also be accessed by industry and size as well," says Priscille Chagnon, the board's deputy director of program operations. Some of the most important findings and data:

• Employment growth in Southwest Florida is strong. The greatest number of new jobs are in the health industry and general business and office support fields. There are approximately 12,000 new jobs created every year.
• The majority of employers report having low employee turnover (approximately 10 percent), low absentee rates, high productivity, a strong work ethic and minimal unionization. Labor costs average seven to 15 percent below the U.S. average.
• Labor availability varies by employer. The best recruiting tactics are median or better salaries, attractive working environments, advancement opportunities and a strong benefits package.
• The number of residents with degrees or certificates has doubled since the 1990 census, and the trend seems likely to continue: Twenty-nine percent of all employees in the survey have bachelor's or graduate degrees while 38 percent of 25-to-34-year-olds have a bachelor's or graduate degree. Overall, 16 percent have an associate degree or vocational certificate.
• There is a significant hidden labor force. About 50,000 residents not now employed are interested in working. About 10,000 people ages 18 to 55 move into the area each year seeking work. Labor force growth in 2001 was 2.6 percent, an increase of 76,185 over 1991.
• Of Southwest Florida's nearly 230,000 new residents in the next 10 years, approximately 90,000 are expected to enter the labor force. That means about four out of every 10 new residents is a potential employee.

The workforce development board hopes the survey results will provide information to foster a more efficient environment in school-to-work, work-to-work and welfare-to-work programs. "Job seekers can spend less time finding gainful employment, employers will have an easier time finding qualified applicants, and schools will train more people for jobs that are in demand," says Jim Wall, the board's program manager.

As human resources manager for Pall Aeropower Corp. in Fort Myers, Laura Rhoad has found the data useful. Most of the positions she recruits for are technical, and it's hard to find people with those skills, she says. But the new workforce Web site has helped. "It's allowed me to compare our wages to other companies of similar backgrounds," she says. "It gives me a bit of a competitive edge in the industry and keeps me up-to-date regarding benefits packages and wages."