Longview, TX — A recently completed analysis of labor needs within a 40-mile radius of Longview points out a dire need for more skilled workers.

Diane White, with the Dallas-based consulting group The Pathfinders, told Longview Economic Development Corp. representatives and city leaders this past week that East Texas employers often have difficulty filling job openings for welders, medical specialists, machinists and those with computer and Internet technical skills.

“When it comes to skilled labor, employers have trouble finding workers,” White said. “But you’re not alone — this is a national issue.”

The firm was retained by LEDCO to perform a labor availability report that will be used in recruiting new business and industry while helping East Texas educators target specific needs for training the existing workforce.

“In site selection projects, the question that most often drives the search is whether the candidate location has the workforce needed for a new or expanding location,” White said during LEDCO’s annual meeting at the Summit Club in downtown Longview. The survey was conducted with phone surveys of 773 households and 30 employers, she said.

To read more on the analysis visit KETK newspaper partner the Longview News-Journal.