Newport News :: Labor Quality

A growing population, a steady supply of military retirees and military spouses, technical training programs operated by Huntington Ingalls Industries, NASA’s Langley Research Center and local government and an extremely livable environment all contribute to the excellent availability of labor found by employers in Newport News. The Newport News area has a healthy mix of labor at every skill level.

The depth and resiliency of the Newport News labor force is made possible through its integration with the larger Hampton Roads labor force, which exceeds 800,000. Hampton Roads is the nation’s 33rd largest metropolitan area and commuting patterns within the region are dynamic. The median journey to work within Hampton Roads was almost 22 minutes according to the 2000 Census, which translates to a labor shed of between 11 and 18 miles, depending on traffic patterns and access to Interstates. However, historically workers will drive much longer distances for jobs paying good wages, with Newport News Shipbuilding (a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries) setting a pattern of attracting workers from as far away as North Carolina.

The significant presence of the military is another source of labor force replenishment for businesses in Newport News. Each year, an average of about 15,000 personnel exits the military in Hampton Roads. Because of the high concentration of military commands in the region, and because of a number of Air Force and Naval air facilities, a large number of these exiting military personnel have college degrees, leadership experience and/or are highly technically trained. This includes training in information technology. Besides exiting military, the region’s military bases, which include Fort Eustis in Newport News, provide a source of replenishable labor from the pool of military spouses and dependents.

It is easy to attract and retain a highly educated workforce to Newport News because of its excellent quality of life combined with an affordable cost of living. Relocating companies such as Icelandic USA and the Atlantic 10 Athletic Conference have had great success in the past in retaining key employees when those companies moved from the Northeast to Newport News. Companies experiencing major spin-offs or expansions—Huntington Ingalls Industries, Canon Virginia, Wolseley/Ferguson Enterprises, Liebherr America and Continental Automotive Systems—have experienced little difficulty attracting the corporate, engineering, administrative and manufacturing talent that they have needed.

Annual High School Graduations, Workforce Investment Area, 2009/2010

High School Graduations	6,692
Advanced Studies Diploma	3,017
Continuing to College or Vocational Training	5,162
Immediately Available for the Labor Force	1,530
Source: Virginia Department of Education

Military Employment, 2009

	Labor Force Area	Total Drawing Area
Total Department of Defensse	21,483	46,648
Active Duty Military	15,749	31,355
Civilian Personnel	5,734	15,293
Source: Department of Defense

Union Membership as a Share of Employment, 2009

New York	24.2%
Alaska	22.9%
Hawaii	21.8%
Washington	19.4%
California	17.5%
New Jersey	17.1%
Connecticut	16.7%
Michigan	16.5%
Rhode Island	16.4%
Oregon	16.2%
Minnesota	15.6%
Illinois	15.5%
Nevada	15.0%
West Virginia	14.8%
Pennsylvania	14.7%
Massachusetts	14.5%
Wisconsin	14.2%
Ohio	13.7%
Montana	12.7%
Vermont	11.8%
Maine	11.6%
Maryland	11.6%
Delaware	11.4%
Iowa	11.4%
Indiana	10.9%
New Hampshire	10.2%
Alabama	10.1%
Missouri	9.9%
Nebraska	9.3%
District of Columbia	9.0%
Kentucky	8.9%
North Dakota	7.4%
Wyoming	7.4%
New Mexico	7.3%
Idaho	7.1%
Kansas	6.8%
Colorado	6.6%
Utah	6.5%
Arizona	6.4%
Florida	5.6%
South Dakota	5.6%
Oklahoma	5.5%
Texas	5.4%
Tennessee	4.7%
South Carolina	4.6%
VIRGINIA	4.6%
Mississippi	4.5%
Louisiana	4.3%
Arkansas	4.0%
Georgia	4.0%
North Carolina	3.2%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics