A recent article by Whitney Downard in the Indianapolis Business Journal pointed out some disturbing trends for Indiana workers. Downard’s analysis was in response to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics showing that Indiana workers make about 83% of the national wage average, and that 91 of 92 Indiana counties fall under the national wage of just over $70,000 a year.  

Marion County was the one Indiana county that came in slightly above the national wage average, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still room for improvement. During a recent lunch-and-learn session in June hosted by EmployIndy’s Business Partnerships team, twenty-five businesses joined Lora Steele, Director of Business Consulting, and Joslyn Cunningham, Senior Manager of Business Consulting, for a discussion about the Choice Employers program and specifically, the Good Wages Initiative (GWI). Representatives from Second Helpings, Barrett & Stokely, Franciscan Health, Visit Indy, Eleven Fifty Academy, and State Farm Insurance were among those who attended the session to learn more. 

Started in 2022, the Good Wages Initiative is a network of more than 80 Marion County employers that pay their full-time employees a wage of at least $18 an hour and provide access to health insurance benefits. That current wage floor comes from a 2018 Brookings Institution report, Advancing opportunity in Central Indiana. In addition to the full GWI certification process (for which businesses can find an application here), there is also a “committed” path for businesses that are close to meeting program qualifications and need assistance in crossing that threshold.  

After a wage increase for their employees, Newfields recently became the first organization to move from “committed” to fully-certified within the program, adding to the growing list of Marion County employers who have joined the initiative. Representing roughly 18 industries and nearly 25,000 workers, GWI employers have already committed to increasing worker wages by over $5.1M. 

EmployIndy’s lunch-and-learn series will continue Friday, September 29th with a session focused on justice-involved hiring, aimed at providing insight regarding the training available to those leaving incarceration, the crucial role that wrap around services provide, and how to navigate the challenges of talent acquisition with this population. You can register for this upcoming session here. 

To stay informed of upcoming lunch-and-learn events, or other ways to connect with EmployIndy’s Business Partnerships team, subscribe to their quarterly newsletter here or visit www.employindy.org/business-partnerships.