Workforce

Every town will say they’ve got a great workforce.  Salem has a great labor pool, too.  Here’s some details about it.

In 2013, North American Lighting (NAL) implemented plans and successfully expanded its employee count to over 1,000 workers, an increase in approximately 300 persons.

Jarco of Salem was in search for a new site to relocate their propane truck assembly line. The City was able to accommodate their relocation into a larger and expandable, 50,000 square-foot facility in the Salem Industrial Park. Jarco’s workforce was a huge factor in the decision to stay in Salem.  JarcoGeneral Manager, Tracy Timmerman said, “I’ve met some of the best people I’ve ever worked with [here]…there are guys here who have worked 10, 15, 20 years.  They come to work because they love what they do, and they’re good at it.”

According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Marion County had a civilian labor force totaling 17,778 in December 2018, of which 16,899 were employed and 879 were unemployed.

The December 2018 unemployment rate was 4.9% in Marion County.

During the Spring/Summer of 2015, the City of Salem interviewed eight Salem employers who employ 1,679 workers among them. These employers reported that 1,440, or almost 86%, of these workers live in Marion County.