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December 9, 2008
Elko wages top Las Vegas, Reno
By JOHN SENTS and DOUG McMURDO - Staff Writers
ELKO, - High wages in low economic times make Elko the place to be, according to new statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Data shows Elko County has the highest median family income in Nevada, thanks to mining -and the demanding skills required to work in the industry.
That in turn compels other employers in the region to offer higher than average wages in order to compete.
The county's high salaries are something the Elko County Economic Diversification Authority has always promoted, particularly in its efforts to expand the area's workforce, said Elaine Barkdull Spencer, executive director of the Elko County Economic Diversification Authority.
“Elko County is a great place to live,” Barkdull Spencer said. “We've always known mining wages have been a great benefit for the county and its residents. ... If you do a comparison of housing and the cost of goods in Elko County, you can see that you can make a very good living in Elko County and our cost of living is more than fair and balanced.”
Elko City Manager Curtis Calder said the report demonstrates that Elko County has a robust economy.
“Due to the high wages here, that money helps circulate back through our economy, helping all the other sectors,” Calder said. “It is a positive report and it is not surprising. I think everyone knows that mining wages are in the upper tier and certainly help drive up the median wages in the county.”
Lou Schack, manager of Communications and Community Affairs for Barrick Gold of North America, had this to say: “We are proud of the fact that we can provide Nevada's best paying jobs. This gives people a quality of life that is hard to come by in urban areas.
“As we're seeing now, high wages also insulate rural Nevadans from much of the financial turmoil many people are facing across the country. Clearly, our ability to continue developing our projects and employing thousands of people at high wages is critical to the economic health of the rural counties.”
“These statistics reinforce that the mining industry is a valued employer for the state's work force and a critical employer for rural Nevada.,” said Mary Korpi, director of external relations for Newmont Mining Corp.
“The contribution that Nevada mining makes toward the state's economy far exceeds the industry's size,” said Korpi. “The industry also sets the bar for employee wages and benefits. Even during these uncertain financial times, Newmont understands the importance of retaining and developing our employees. The company will only be successful if our employees are successful.”
And operations still in the permitting stage understand the dynamic.
“We won't mine for 12 to 18 months from now,” said Zach Spencer, manager of external relations for General Moly. “Right now we have about 60 employees, but we realize we'll have to offer competitive wages and, like other companies in the industry, we have a great benefits package.
“I think mining pays so well because of the remote locations of the work and it takes a lot of skill to operate multi-million-dollar equipment. There is lots of responsibility and highly technical skills are required, so the high pay is warranted.”
According to estimates gathered between 2005 and 2007 in counties with populations of 20,000 or more, the median family income in Elko County was more than $70,000.
Nationally, Elko ranked 196th in median family income.
The census bureau estimates about one in four Elko County workers has a job in natural resources, including agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting and mining.
It's the third highest percentage in that category in the country, trailing only Colusa County, Calif., and Jerome County, Idaho.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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