Does Central Indiana have enough manufacturing jobs to absorb 1,400 laid-off Carrier workers?
When the company announced in February it would shutter its Indianapolis operations and move 1,400 jobs to Monterrey, Mexico, for many, the first response was anger.
As the reality of the move set in, though, the question became more practical: Once my job is gone, where can I work?
DIGITAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES | Episodes 1-3
TV SPECIAL | Moving to Mexico Part 1 | Moving to Mexico Part 2
Statewide, there were just under 90,000 open job listings online in the first quarter of the year, according to data provided to Call 6 Investigates by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
Of those, 23,574 were located in Marion County. Another 11,189 were listed in the donut counties surrounding Indianapolis.
Courtesy Indiana Department of Workforce Development
Within the 90,000 jobs available statewide, just 4,019 were classified under manufacturing. Another 4,500 listings were in transportation and warehousing – which could appeal to some of Carrier's workers.
Unsurprisingly, most Carrier workers live within either Marion or the surrounding counties.
Below: See where Carrier workers live in Central Indiana
Due to limitations of the available data, however, it was not possible to determine how many manufacturing jobs were available specifically within Central Indiana.
Using data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Call 6 Investigates paired the 57,000 classified job listings with the average annual salary they took home in the first half of 2015.
Of those 57,000 jobs, 77 percent – more than 44,000 – would be expected to pay less than $45,000 a year. More than 23,000 – about 40 percent – pay less than $30,000 a year.
The union that represents Carrier workers says the average wage at the Indianapolis plant was $23/hour, or somewhere in excess of $47,000 per year.
Manufacturing jobs ranked sixth in availability, but paid an average salary of $62,000 last year. The top listed industry, health care and social assistance, had more than 10,000 listings, but averaged $43,732 a year.
Purely in terms of salary, the data suggests Carrier workers considering a career change should look to professional, scientific and technical services. It ranked fourth overall for openings, with nearly 6,000 listings, and paid an average salary last year of $61,000.
For Carrier workers who are looking to change careers, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett has said the $1.2 million in tax breaks the company returned to the city will be used to retrain Carrier workers. The city has also set up a task force to assist in getting them back into the workforce.
CALL 6 | Carrier returns $1.58M in tax breaks to city, state | City, state stepping in to help Carrier employees
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development is also offering assistance to Carrier workers. For more information on what services they offer, click here.
FULL CARRIER COVERAGE: TIMELINE: Carrier to ship 1,400 jobs from Indiana to Mexico | Hogsett calls on Carrier to return $1.2M within 30 days | Coats, Donnelly have 'disappointing' meeting with Carrier execs | IEDC responds to Sen. Donnelly's comments on Carrier | Sen. Donnelly: Carrier never cited federal regulations as reason for move | Union president: 'We're not going away quietly' | Carrier employees protest move at statehouse| Pence on Carrier meeting: 'I don't want to create any false hope for people' | Moving to Mexico: What you need to know about Monterrey, Mexico | Moving to Mexico: On the ground in Monterrey, Mexico, where Carrier is moving Trump weights in on Carrier relocation to Mexico | Carrier: Company did not receive $5M in federal stimulus funds | President of United Steelworkers Union: No hope of saving 1,400 jobs | Carrier employees, local businesses reel after announcement of move to Mexico | WATCH: Employees react to news that Carrier is moving from Indy to Mexico | Pence to review Carrier's plans to move to Mexico | TRUMP: Carrier should be taxed for their goods after move to Mexico | Hogsett, Donnelly meet with Carrier workers | City, state stepping in to help Carrier employees | Indiana leaders ask Carrier for a meeting to try to keep the plant, jobs in the state
