The population of the Southeast has grown substantially over the past decade to 36.3 million residents. The region will continue to experience some of the most pronounced growth in the nation with a projected 5.5% population change over the next five years, well beyond the national rate of 3.5%.
Although it is the smallest key metro in the region with a population of 817,717, Charleston is among the fastest growing. Over the next five years, the population is expected to increase 9.0% compared to a national rate of 3.5%.
To support this increased population, the region has also experienced an industrial boom to meet the growing demand of the populace. A plethora of industries have located to and expanded in the Southeast, driven by a surge in manufacturing, e-commerce, and 3PL businesses. The presence of the Port of Charleston makes this a key industrial market for the Southeastern U.S.
The labor pool has increased in tandem with the rise in industrial businesses. Southeast markets have a higher concentration of the sector’s target blue collar demographic than the nation as a whole, and Charleston has a target blue collar demographic volume of 54,181.
Warehouse wages in the Southeast index above the national average, while the average wages for production workers is on par with the U.S.
Click here to read and download the Southeast Industrial Labor Report.
