Competitive Advantages
- Abundant Workers
- Diverse Industries
- Affordable Workforce
Abundant Workers
Downtown to downtown, Zanesville is 52 miles from Columbus, the 16th largest city in the U.S.A., via Interstate 70. The Columbus MSA has over 1.7 million people. While, Muskingum County is just outside the Columbus MSA, employers in Muskingum County will find a readily available work force. The labor force in the county is just under 40,000 people. But Muskingum County is not an island; in fact, we are a regional center for health care, services, shopping and employment. Approximately, 8,000 commuters travel to Muskingum County from other counties to go to work. See a map of Muskingum County commuting patterns.
When neighboring counties are included, the regional labor force is 190,000 people. For the latest unemployment data, please connect to the Ohio Labor Market Web site.
When AVON Products opened its distribution center here in 2009, 11,000 people applied for 500 jobs. That is over 20 applicants for every available job! Fortunately, in Muskingum County we offer employers the services they need to successfully staff growing businesses. The Opportunity Center, which is the One-Stop Employment center serving the needs of job seekers and employers, provided recruitment, application and screening services to AVON Products, saving the company time and money and allowing managers to focus on getting their business up and running.
Employers interested in help in job posting, application and pre-screening services are encouraged to work with the Muskingum County Opportunity Center.
It should be noted that in the last 10 years, Muskingum County has lost nearly 5,700 manufacturing jobs, a 56% decline. This job loss has left a group of experienced, skilled and motivated manufacturing workers, who often are underemployed or unemployed.Diverse Industries
Muskingum County has a diverse work force. The sectors of health care/education, manufacturing, and retail sales are the biggest employers.
Muskingum County Labor Force Composition |
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(Civilian Employed population 16 years and over) |
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By Occupation |
Persons |
% |
Management, professional, and related occupations |
9047 |
24.5% |
Service occupations |
7651 |
20.7% |
Sales and office occupations |
9012 |
24.4% |
Farming, fishing and forestry occupations |
103 |
0.3% |
Construction, extraction, maintenance & repair |
3411 |
9.2% |
Production, transportation & material moving |
7677 |
20.8% |
Total Employed in Labor Force |
36901 |
100.0% |
|
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By Industry |
Persons |
% |
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, & mining |
683 |
1.9% |
Construction |
2868 |
7.8% |
Manufacturing |
6661 |
18.1% |
Wholesale trade |
1219 |
3.3% |
Retail trade |
5735 |
15.5% |
Transportation, warehousing, utilities |
1562 |
4.2% |
Information |
502 |
1.4% |
Finance, insurance & real estate |
1768 |
4.8% |
Professional, scientific, management, & admin. |
1323 |
3.6% |
Educational services, health care & social serv. |
8616 |
23.3% |
Arts, entertainment, recreation, lodging & food serv. |
3767 |
10.2% |
Other services except public administration |
1148 |
3.1% |
Public administration |
1049 |
2.8% |
Total Employed in Labor Force |
36901 |
100.0% |
Zanesville-Muskingum County Industries
Company |
Location |
Employees |
Product/Service |
Genesis Healthcare System |
Zanesville |
3000 |
Hospitals, clinics, outpatient |
Zandex |
Zanesville |
1100 |
nursing homes |
The Longaberger Company |
Frazeysburg |
900 |
wooden baskets |
Dollar General |
Washington Township |
650 |
distribution center for retail stores |
Shelly & Sands |
Wayne Township |
500 |
road construction, aggregate, asphalt |
AVON Products |
Washington Township |
491 |
cosmetics distribution center |
Autozone |
Perry Township |
480 |
auto parts distribution center |
Muskingum University |
New Concord |
450 |
private university |
Owens-Illinois, Inc. |
Zanesville |
360 |
glass liquor bottles |
New Bakery |
Washington& Perry Twnshps |
327 |
hamburger buns |
Kellogg's |
Zanesville |
297 |
non-meat protein products |
Zane State College |
Zanesville |
240 |
community college |
AK Steel |
Zanesville |
220 |
electrical & stainless steel |
Time Warner |
Zanesville |
181 |
inbound call center |
Anchor Glass |
City of Zanesville |
165 |
glass molds |
Economy Linen |
Zanesville |
147 |
industrial laundry |
Burnham Foundry |
Falls Township |
145 |
gray iron castings - heat exchangers |
Ohio University - Zanesville |
Zanesville |
120 |
university branch campus |
| NFI Industries | Union Township | 116 |
Distribution Center |
Cardinal Health |
Washington Township |
114 |
phamaceutical packaging |
Nestle Purina |
Zanesville |
105 |
pet food |
DK Manufacturing |
Frazeysburg |
100 |
auto parts |
Plaskolite |
Perry Township |
95 |
acrylic sheeting |
Resource Systems |
Union Township |
80 |
software & systems for patient care |
American Electric Power |
Falls & Jefferson Twnshps |
75 |
electric utility, gas plant, offices |
Ballas Egg |
Zanesville |
75 |
egg products |
Mattingly Foods |
Zanesville |
67 |
food distribution & trucking |
5 B's |
Perry Township |
50 |
sportswear embroidery |
Hartstone Pottery |
Zanesville |
33 |
handmade ceramics |
Affordable Work Force
Zanesville is a “Micropolitan” community in eastern Ohio. A low cost of living, low utility costs, and low taxes translate to a less costly labor market than metropolitan areas. Please see the table below. For a more detailed listing of wage rates by job classification, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site.
Hourly Wage Rate Comparison to Regional Metro Areas (All Occupations) |
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Region |
Median |
Mean |
% of U.S. Avg. |
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Zanesville-Muskingum Co.(Eastern Ohio) |
$ 12.89 |
$ 15.99 |
77% |
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Charleston, West Virginia |
$ 14.29 |
$ 17.90 |
86% |
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Memphis, Tennessee |
$ 14.62 |
$ 18.93 |
91% |
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
$ 15.50 |
$ 19.93 |
95% |
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St. Louis, Missouri |
$ 16.20 |
$ 20.63 |
95% |
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Cincinnati, Ohio |
$ 15.84 |
$ 20.35 |
97% |
||
Cleveland, Ohio |
$ 16.00 |
$ 20.16 |
96% |
||
United States |
$ 15.95 |
$ 20.90 |
100% |
||
Columbus, Ohio |
$ 16.34 |
$ 20.70 |
99% |
||
Charlotte, North Carolina |
$ 16.12 |
$ 21.10 |
101% |
||
Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
$ 16.83 |
$ 21.19 |
101% |
||
Atlanta, Georgia |
$ 16.62 |
$ 21.88 |
105% |
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Chicago, Illinois |
$ 17.71 |
$ 23.51 |
112% |
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New York, New York |
$ 20.63 |
$ 27.05 |
129% |
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Source: May 2009 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/print.pl/oes/2009/may/oes_3900003.htm
Worker's Comp
Ohio worker's compensation rates are calculated by the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation (BWC).
The Ohio BWC classifies industries according to the National Council of Compensation Insurance. Each separate industry classification has its own basic premium rate.
The cost of claims in each industry classification determines rates. Base rates are calculated by estimating the cost of claims expected to occur in the next year using costs of past accidents and diseases in each industrial classification.An employer's accident experience, fluctuations in payroll, medical costs, and worker's compensation benefit levels are primary factors in premium rates.
Rates in Ohio are on par with national averages as you can see from the map below.
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Read more about Ohio’s continuing progress at bringing down costs at the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation Web Site.