Out of 67 counties in Florida, Polk County has the 10th largest total labor force. This statistic is even more impressive when one considers the fact that thousands of workers from Polk commute to Tampa and Orlando for work each day. These markets would be very adversely impacted if those workers could obtain positions in the local area. Polk County has a labor pool with a median age of 34.9, many of who have come to the area from Northern states to enjoy the benefits of climate and growth. Polk County is designated a labor surplus area by the U.S. Department of Labor, which means companies located in the Polk Urban Area become eligible for preference in obtaining federal contracts. The unskilled labor supply consistently exceeds local demand. In 1998, Polk County had 3,179 high school graduates and 1,010 adult school graduates. Portions of the labor pool have some work experience, but not necessarily in industrial operations.

Wage Data By Industry* Industry Polk State Agriculture 16,200 16,508 All Government 27,040 30,916 Communications 29,660 32,236 Construction 26,024 26,268 Manufacturing 40,784 37,052 Mining 31,880 32,236 Retail Trade 17,080 15,884 Services 23,584 24,604 Wholesale Trade 29,164 34,732 * Statistics and information compliments of the Central Florida Development Council.

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