In April of 2001, the University of Southern Maine Center for Business and Economic Research completed studies of 17 labor markets in the State of Maine, including the Augusta Labor Market Area. The CBER team undertook a survey of both employers and employees to develop a comprehensive analysis of the labor force, covering topics such as employment mobility and recruiting trends, unemployment and underemployment, employment costs, including both pay and benefits, education, training and skills, and commuting patterns.
This workforce analysis is a vital component of a strategy for furthering economic growth in Maine.Here are some key findings of the study of the Augusta Labor Market Area, as provided by Principal Investigator Charles S. Colgan of the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, and Project Director Bruce Andrews of the University of Southern Maine School of Business.
Industry in which survey respondents work
As the capital region, the Augusta area is more concentrated in the government sector than other regions. The region also has a high concentration of services employment, both associated with the concentration of government (such as legal) as well as a high concentration of health care employment.
|
Industry of Employment – Primary Job
|
Augusta LMA
|
Maine (state totals)
|
|
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing
|
0.3%
|
0.9%
|
| Construction |
2.7%
|
4.9%
|
| Manufacturing |
7.1%
|
14.8%
|
| Transportation and Utilities |
7.4%
|
6.5%
|
| Finance, Insurance and Real Estate |
5.4%
|
5.5%
|
| Trade |
15.2%
|
15.9%
|
| Services |
41.1%
|
43.3%
|
| Government |
20.9%
|
8.0%
|
| Respondents: |
297
|
4655
|
Occupation of survey respondents
The region has an occupational profile consistent with its high concentration of service industries and government. Almost 40% of the occupations surveyed are in professional, managerial, supervisory positions, and there are a large number of clerical positions.
|
Occupation – Primary Job
|
Augusta LMA
|
Maine (state totals)
|
| Professional |
15.1%
|
13.1%
|
| Managerial |
21.3%
|
15.0%
|
| Supervisors |
3.9%
|
4.1%
|
| Sales |
1.3%
|
3.5%
|
| Clerical |
11.8%
|
6.9%
|
| Retail |
2.6%
|
3.6%
|
| Non-health services |
10.5%
|
8.8%
|
| Health services |
7.5%
|
9.5%
|
| Banking-Real Estate |
2.6%
|
3.0%
|
| Transportation |
6.9%
|
6.5%
|
| Skilled Trades |
6.9%
|
8.9%
|
| Skilled Manufacturing |
5.6%
|
9.5%
|
| Agriculture |
0.3%
|
0.3%
|
| Laborer |
2.0%
|
1.8%
|
| Food Service |
1.3%
|
3.9%
|
| Government not elsewhere classified |
0.3%
|
0.9%
|
| Respondents: |
305
|
5104
|
Length of employment
The region is characterized by employees who stay for a relatively long tenure in their employment. About half of the respondents indicate that they have been in their primary job longer than four years and more than two thirds have been in their positions longer than two years.
|
Length with employment of primary job
|
Augusta LMA
|
Maine (state totals)
|
| 1-2 years |
31.9%
|
24.0%
|
| 2-4 years |
12.7%
|
15.4%
|
| 4-6 years |
8.7%
|
11.0%
|
| 6-10 years |
8.4%
|
11.8%
|
| 10-15 years |
18.0%
|
15.0%
|
| >15 years |
20.4%
|
22.8%
|
| Respondents: |
323
|
5409
|
Seeking a new job
About 20% of the respondents indicate that they are currently looking for a different job. Based on the size of the labor force in the Augusta LMA, this would imply that about 9000 people are in the ‘actively seeking’ portion of the labor force. Among those actively looking for a new job, the most common reason given is to make better use of their skills.
|
Reason for looking for a new job
|
Augusta LMA
|
Maine (state totals)
|
| Work for a different organization |
–
|
–
|
| Make better use of skills |
21.0%
|
14.6%
|
| Work closer to home |
6.5%
|
8.9%
|
| Get off shift work |
–
|
–
|
| Better chance for promotion |
6.5%
|
5.0%
|
| More job security |
11.3%
|
7.6%
|
| More flexible schedule |
3.2%
|
6.8%
|
| Get better benefits |
14.5%
|
9.7%
|
| Additional pay |
12.9%
|
26.0%
|
| Other |
24.2%
|
21.5%
|
| Respondents: |
20% of 317
|
17% of 4704
|
Commuting
The region draws its workforce from a wide radius. The mean commute time is 23.5 minutes, with about half the respondents indicating a commute under 20 minutes and about half over. Increasing wages and salaries are associated with longer commutes.
|
Mean commute time by annual salary
|
Augusta LMA
|
Maine (state totals)
|
| <$10,000K | 11 min. | 18 min. |
| $10,000 - $19,999K | 20 min. | 23 min. |
| $20,000 - $24,999K | 11 min. | 18 min. |
| $25,000 - $29,999K | 21 min. | 21 min. |
| $30,000 - $39,999K | 25 min. | 22 min. |
| $40,000 - $49,999K | 25 min. | 24 min. |
| $50,000 - $74,999K | 25 min. | 26 min. |
| >$75,000K | 24 min. | 34 min. |
| Respondents: | 30 | 5477 |
Starting wages and salaries by occupation
Employers report the highest starting wages for professional positions, with the second highest for skilled trades positions. Lowest starting wages were in retail and service industries. The same pattern applies to starting salaries..
|
Mean commute time by annual salary
|
Augusta
LMA |
LMA | Augusta (state totals) |
Maine
(state totals) |
| Hr. Wage | Salary | Hr. Wage | Salary | |
| Professional | $18.50 | $44,272 | $16.15 | $42,024 |
| Managerial | $12.90 | $36,771 | $12.89 | $35,243 |
| Admin/Clerical | $8.80 | $21,411 | $9.31 | $22,450 |
| Skilled Manufacturing | $10.50 | $27,200 | $10.99 | $25,647 |
| Skilled Trades | $11.40 | $28,436 | $11.92 | $27,522 |
| Semi-skilled | $8.20 | $20,800 | $8.73 | $21,702 |
| Scientific/Technical | $11.00 | $37,333 | $13.31 | $37,557 |
| Retail/Services | $7.40 | $25,000 | $7.47 | $21,848 |
Educational attainment
The workforce in the region is highly educated. 95 percent of the employee respondents indicate they have completed high school or more. The proportion of bachelors and post-graduate degree holders is also higher than the state average.
|
Educational attainment
|
Augusta LMA
|
Maine (state totals)
|
| Post-Graduate Degree | 11% | 9% |
| Bachelors Degree | 20% | 18% |
| Associates Degree | 10% | 10% |
| Some College | 23% | 23% |
| High School | 31% | 35% |
| Grades 9-11 | 3% | 4% |
| Grades 1-8 | 2% | 1% |
| Respondents: | 394 | 6817 |
|
Field of highest degree amongst degree holders
|
Augusta LMA
|
Maine (state totals)
|
| Arts | 22.8% | 18% |
| Computer Science | 4.2% | 4% |
| Education | 2.4% | 3% |
| Engineering | 7.2% | 4% |
| Health Professionals | 16.2% | 14% |
| Social Sciences | 1.2% | 3% |
| Natural Sciences | 16.2% | 14% |
| Other | 19.2% | 22% |
| Business | 10.2% | 14% |