Study Shows Area Residents Would Retrain, Change Jobs By: Danny Mogle, Assistant Managing Editor   |   Aug 27, 2008

Many in the Tyler area believe their skills are underutilitized and are willing to change jobs or be trained for different work, new research shows.

It also found that most who want to be employed have some higher education and computer skills.
The work force is "willing, ready and able," concluded Dr. Marilyn Young, a professor of management at The University of Texas at Tyler, who compiled the data.

On Tuesday, Dr. Young presented the findings of the survey commissioned by Tyler Economic Develop Council and Lindale Economic Development Corp.

The data analyzes responses of 600 people surveyed by telephone this summer in a 30-mile radius around Tyler. The people were asked about their employment, salary, job skills, and factors they would consider before taking a new job.

Of those surveyed:

- 71 percent had lived in East Texas at least 10 years;
- The average age was 47;

- At least 50 percent had "some college" education;
- 73 percent were white;

- The split of men to women were 47 percent to 53 percent;
- 87 percent were employed;

Of the employed:

- 26 percent worked in sales or office support;
- 69 percent had computer or data entry skills;

- 48 percent believed their skills, especially those in health care and teaching, were not fully utilized;
- 39 percent would consider changing jobs;

- 82 percent were willing to be trained for another job;
Of the unemployed:

- 23 percent had worked in office support and 12 percent in production;
- 85 percent want full-time employment;

- 63 percent who did not live in Smith County would consider working here.

"This information should enable employers to make more informed and rational decisions regarding expansions and investments in the Tyler and East Texas area," Dr. Young said in the survey's introduction.

Tom Mullins, TEDC president, said employers want to know about the availability and skills of potential employees. "If we didn't have an available work base, (new) employers wouldn't even look at us."

Dr. Young, who has conducted previous labor surveys for TEDC, said she was surprised by the number of people willing, under the right conditions, to change jobs.

She said results carry a 4 percent margin of error and that because only those with land telephone lines were surveyed, younger workers who only use cell phones may have been under-represented.