City of Ames, IA
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Workforce
Attracting a suitable workforce is critically important. Ames has the workforce capable of efficiently operating any sized project as illustrated in a recent labor report.Consider these facts: the local laborshed (an area defined by where a community draws their workforce) is over 444,000 workers; of those 444,000 workers, over 93,000 said in a 2013 survey* they are willing to change place of employment based upon wages and benefits.
*Story County 2013 Laborshed Analysis Executive Summary - released August 2013.
The following workforce information is provided:Labor Force Data
Ames Labor Force Data includes total workforce, total number employed, total number unemployment, unemployment rate, and cumulative for the year in the City of Ames.Ames Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) Labor Force Data includes total workforce, total number employed, sector employment, total number unemployment, unemployment rate, and cumulative for the year in the Ames MSA.
Laborshed Analysis
Data on the available workforce in Story County can be found in the Story County Laborshed Analysis from the Iowa Workforce Development. A Laborshed is defined as the area or region from which an employment center draws its commuting workers. This report not only estimates the potential availability of workers but also describes characteristics of these workers.
Work In Ames
WorkInAmes.com is a local job board for the Ames/Story County area. Our community is fortunate to offer a wide range of career opportunities.
Employers can post jobs for free!
People looking for a job in Ames are able to search a list of openings for full time, part time and internship positions.
Visit WorkInAmes.com
Workforce Training
Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training (260E)The Industrial New Jobs Training Program provide businesses, which are expanding their Iowa workforce, with new employee training. Administered by Iowa's 15 community colleges, the program is financed through bonds sold by the colleges. Depending on the wages paid, the business then diverts 1.5 or 3 percent of the Iowa state withholding taxes generated by the new positions to the community college to retire the bonds. Because of this structure, the training is available at what is essentially no cost since the bonds are retired with dollars that otherwise would have been paid to the state as withholding taxes. In addition to increasing worker productivity and company profitability, businesses participating in the Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program may also be eligible for reimbursement up to 50 percent of the annual gross payroll costs expended for the on-the-job training, as well as a corporate tax credit if Iowa employment is increased by at least 10 percent.
Business Eligibility Requirements
- Must be located in, or relocating to Iowa.
- Must be engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing, assembling products, warehousing, wholesaling, or conducting research and development.
- Service-providing businesses must have customers outside of Iowa.
- Cannot have closed or substantially reduced its employment base at any of its other business sites in Iowa in order to relocate substantially the same operation to another area of the state.
To qualify for training services, employees:
- Must be in newly created positions.
- Must pay Iowa withholding tax.
- Must occupy job positions that did not exist during the six months prior to the date that the business and community college agree to pursue a training project.
The Iowa Jobs Training Program provides job training services to current employees of eligible businesses that are located in Iowa. Eligible businesses can work with their local Iowa community college, which will assess training needs, determine funds availability and provide training. For participating businesses, the advantages include valuable employee training at a reduced - or no - cost.
Business Eligibility Requirements
- Must be located in Iowa.
- Must be engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing, assembling products, warehousing, wholesaling, or conducting research and development.
- Service-providing businesses must have customers outside of Iowa.
- Within the 36-month period prior to the date of applying for program services, a business cannot have closed or reduced its employment base by more than 20 percent at any of its other business sites in Iowa in order to relocate substantially the same operation to another area of the state.
To qualify for training services, employees:
- Must be currently employed by the business.
- Must pay Iowa withholding tax.