2. CCSR-HRSR 09-04-2012 SPEC JOINT

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EMPLOYMENT ANALYSIS Major Employer Interviews Maxfield Research Inc. interviewed representatives of large employers in Elk River in July 2012. The interviews covered topics such as recent trends in job growth, projected job growth,job types, and average hourly wages or annual salaries. Representatives were also asked about housing needs of their employees. Interviews with the area's largest employers not only provide data regarding commercial job growth, but also reveal employer attitudes and perceptions regarding housing demand in any given area. Table E-3 on the following page shows the top employers located in Elk River. The following are key points from the interviews with major employers: • Employers said that housing is not a typical concern for the employees that they hire. There may be isolated issues, but overall housing is not an issue. Most production, manufacturing, and retail employees are hired from the surrounding area and do not need to find housing. These employees typically commute roughly 20 to 30 minutes to Elk River and do not relocate to Elk River. • Although a lack of transitional rental housing exists due to very low vacancy rates. Any employee looking to relocate will typically commute while looking for a home to purchase. • None of the companies interviewed had a relocation program in place. Due to the current economic climate there is not really any need to attract potential employees with this program. In addition, employees' living choices range from the northwest Twin Cities Metro Area to St. Cloud. • Although the majority of manufacturing/processing jobs are filled with area residents, most professional and education jobs are filled by people from throughout Minnesota. The community perception of Elk River is fairly good. People are attracted to the strong school district and level of service and retail that the area provides. Most often, housing is not a deciding factor. • The largest employer in Elk River is the ISD-728, which employs about 1,600 people. ISD- 728 employment has remained relatively stable through the recession with a small number of cuts three to four years ago. With declining enrollment over the last year, there may be some need to cut back. Overall, housing has not been an issue and there has not been much relocation of employees to Elk River. • The majority of employers interviewed noted stable employment over the past three years. When asked about growth over the next three years, many indicated that they should remain stable with some slight increases from five to 15 employees over the next few years. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 31