From the second quarter of 2007 to the same time in 2010, Woodbury lost more than 1,000 jobs.

That was one of several noteworthy statistics a Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) analyst provided at a Woodbury Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week.

Rachel Vilsack, regional labor market analyst with DEED, outlined the city’s job market against a backdrop of the state’s overall labor situation, the Legislature’s efforts to grow the workforce and the Woodbury Community Foundation’s own job-creation initiatives.

Among the figures Vilsack laid out in her presentation:

• Businesses in Woodbury comprise 24 percent of employers and 29 percent of jobs in Washington County.
• Washington County businesses account for 7 percent of employers and 5 percent of jobs in the Twin Cities.
• Retail outlets account for 25 percent of the city’s employment (4,457 jobs).
• Health care and social assistance jobs comprise 20 percent of the city’s workforce.
• Industries that have grown in Woodbury from 2007 to 2010 include health care and social assistance, education, and arts, entertainment and recreation.
• Manufacturing, retail and administrative and support services are in decline, jobs-wise.

Vilsack talked about the “Great Recession” and how there is greater competition for jobs—five job-seekers for every one opening—and older workers continuing to look for employment.

The state’s December 2010 jobless rate (6.8 percent) is similar to Washington County’s (6.3 percent), but Woodbury is faring a little better at 5.2 percent. The unemployment rate is greatest among those 16-19 years old.

There are services available to those who have recently lost their job. The Washington County Workforce Center recently used DEED funds to help displaced workers at EcoWater Systems’ Woodbury facility.

Dick Hanson is heading up the Woodbury Community Foundation’s program to help people find jobs. The initiative grew out of the group’s recent survey findings.

The Woodbury Community Foundation’s efforts are in their infancy, but Hanson said the focus is on making it a “business-driven” initiative. The group is developing partnerships with the Woodbury Chamber of Commerce, the Washington County Workforce Investment Board and Workforce Center, and other education and training organizations, he said.

Hanson wrote in an email to Woodbury Patch: “The specific objective on Friday was to engage Woodbury business people through the Chamber. We see our role as connecting the dots horizontally across public/private/non-profit organizations, and vertically between local and regional economic development initiatives focused on job growth, to identify needs, gaps, issues and opportunities, leading to innovative collaborative efforts.”

He said the Woodbury Community Foundation’s job-growth program is not trying to duplicate existing programs but rather “add value seamlessly.”

“It's all about using limited resources more effectively for greater impact,” he said.