Labor Force

Labor is one of our strong points!

 

Employers find it easy to recruit and retain top-notch talent at all levels of their organizations.  Labor is an asset that gives James City County a distinct advantage in today's business climate.

• Abundant, diverse labor supply of almost 1.5 million from both Hampton Roads and Richmond MSA
• Right to work state
• Lower costs
• Coordinated workforce development system
• Worker’s compensation rates 50% lower than the National average
• Regional wages 20% lower than National wages
• Area popular with top talent and executives to home.
• Labor pool from high concentration of:
  • Military facilities
  • Colleges and universities
  • Federal research labs
  • Tourism, retail and service businesses
• Engineers and scientists in various disciplines, particularly aeronautics and space, advanced materials, computational sciences, marine  sciences, on-destructive testing, and bioinformatics
• Former military personnel with experience and training in mechanical and electronic systems, transportation and logistics, and computer modeling and simulation
• Graduate students from over 30 colleges and universities within an hour’s drive
• Thousands of tourism and service industry employees working seasonal jobs
• Spouses of military and university workers

 

Right to Work State

Virginia is one of twenty states, and the northern-most state, with a Right-to-Work law. Good labor relations and strict enforcement of this law have contributed to a positive local labor climate. 

Only two County manufacturers are unionized, accounting for 6 percent of the County’s total employment and about half of the County’s manufacturing employment.  No union elections, striking or work stoppages have occurred in the County within the past ten years.

 

High Quality of Life

Companies find it easy to recruit the top talent they need to James City County. The area’s reputation for high quality of life, mild climate, convenient mid-Atlantic location, excellent school system, and abundance of recreational and cultural amenities are important factors, as are the beautifully developed neighborhoods and outstanding collection of executive housing.

 

When analyzing James City County’s labor, it is helpful to consider information for the County itself, and both the Virginia Beach / Norfolk / Newport News and Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA).

Useful sites include: