Workforce Data
Isle of Wight County has a highly qualified, skilled labor force. It is also part of a regional workforce, rich in supply of technically trained personnel and has a breadth of occupational skills within the manufacturing, warehousing and distribution and office sectors. This combination provides a complete workforce package for businesses.
Civilian Labor Force Statistics
|
Isle of Wight County |
MSA |
| Civilian Labor Force |
19,918 |
845,860 |
| Employed |
19,354 |
819,172 |
| Unemployed |
564 |
26,688 |
| Unemployment Rate |
2.8% |
3.2% |
Source: Virginia Employment Commission, February 2023
Educational Attainment (Isle of Wight)
| On-Time Graduation Rate (Class of 2018) |
93% |
| Percentage of Isle of Wight County population age 25+ who are high school graduates or higher (2013-2017) |
91.1% |
Source: Isle of Wight County Schools; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2021 5-Year Estimates
Additional Workforce
| Exiting Active-Duty Military |
14,000+ annually |
| Military Spouses |
30,000 |
| College Graduates |
13,000+ annually |
Source: Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance
Employment By Industry Sector
| Manufacturing |
25.6% |
| Government (Federal, State and Local) |
13.5% |
| Accommodation and Food Services |
8.9% |
| Retail Trade |
8.9% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance |
5.8% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) |
5.1% |
| Construction |
4.9% |
| Administrative Support and Waste Management |
4.4% |
| Transportation and Warehousing |
4.1% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises |
3.9% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting |
3.4% |
| Professional Scientific and Technical Services |
2.7% |
| Wholesale Trade |
1.9% |
| Educational Services |
1.9% |
| Finance and Insurance |
1.8% |
| Arts, Entertainment and Recreation |
1.5% |
| Real Estate, Rental and Leasing |
0.6% |
| Unclassified Industry |
0.4% |
| Utilities |
0.4% |
| Information |
0.2% |
Source: Lightcast, Dataset 2022.4; Hampton Roads Alliance
Sample of Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
| Occupation |
Mean Hourly Wage |
Mean Annual Salary |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics |
$28.26 |
$58,780 |
| Maintenance Workers, Machinery |
$25.75 |
$53,570 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers |
$32.37 |
$67,330 |
| Assemblers and Fabricators |
$18.17 |
$37,780 |
| Machinists |
$23.57 |
$49,020 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators and Tenders |
$19.23 |
$40,010 |
| Helpers-Production Workers |
$15.82 |
$32,910 |
| Food Processing Workers |
$16.16 |
$33,600 |
Source: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metro Area, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2021
