Hoosiers by the Numbers
EGR 8 consists of Brown, Daviess, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange and Owen counties.
Economic Growth Region 8 Analysis
EGR 8 is located in scenic south-central Indiana, in the middle of rolling terrain and beautiful natural areas.
The region was historically the center of limestone extraction in the United States, with quarries in Bloomington, Bedford and Ellettsville, to name a few. The industry was so important to the region that it came to be known as the “Stone Belt,” which extends north to Putnam County and south through Owen, Monroe, Lawrence and Orange counties. Some of the most famous limestone structures in the world were built using Indiana limestone, including the National Cathedral, Empire State Building, the Pentagon, and 35 of the 50 state capitol buildings across the U.S.
Today, the region’s industrial base includes education, health care, manufacturing and tourism. The flagship campus of Indiana University, IU–Bloomington, enrolls over 40,000 students and is the largest employer in the region. The tourism industry is also significant, with the historic French Lick Springs Resort and West Baden Springs Hotel, as well as world-renowned golf courses by Pete Dye and Donald Ross, located in Orange County.
The region’s other major employers include the Cook Group, IU Health Bloomington Hospital, Boston Scientific Corporation and NAVSEA Crane. The region’s educational institutions are IU Bloomington and Ivy Tech.
Recent Analysis
Labor Market
Review
May 2025 
Industry Sector Snapshot
Third Quarter 2024
Occupational Employment Statistics
2024 Annual
Real-Time
Job Demand
First Quarter 2025 
Unemployment Claimant Profile
First Quarter 2025
Access archived publications via the Publication Lookup Tool.
Quick Stats
Click on any quick stat to view details and a comparison table.
Contact your regional analyst
Need help? Knowledgable regional analysts are available to offer assistance.Cassie Janes
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (765) 507-9710
Major Grants Received
- JAG Expansion – $437,926
- Workforce Ready Grant (WRG)
– $434,000 - Performance Support Grant
– $485,284 - NLJ - Employer Training Grant
– $970,000
Top 10 Occupation Groups by Growth
(2022-2032 long-term projections)
- Healthcare support occupations
- Computer and mathematical occupations
- Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
- Architecture and engineering occupations
- Legal occupations
- Community and social services occupations
- Life, physical, and social science occupations
- Personal care and service occupations
- Education, training, and library occupations
- Business and financial operations occupations
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Indiana Department of Workforce Development
Dive into the long-term occupation projections with the Employment Outlook Projections Tool.
Top 10 Industry Sectors
(Based on 2024 annual average employment)
- Educational Services
- Manufacturing
- Health Care and Social Services
- Accommodation and Food Services
- Retail Trade
- Construction
- Professional, Scientific, Technical
- Other Services (Except Public Administration)
- Transportation & Warehousing
- Wholesale Trade
Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Access multiple data sets on the Industry topic page.
Major Employers (Based on number of employees)
Explore even more employers by location, size class or industry with the Business Lookup Tool.
EGR 8
- Indiana University
- Naval Service Warfare Center Crane
- Cook Group Inc.
- IU Health Bloomington Hospital
- French Lick Resort
- Boston Scientific Corp.
- GM Powertrain
- Simtra BioPharma Solutions
- Daviess Community Hospital
- Stone Belt
About the data
Note: The list of regional employers on this page was updated September 2024 to include local insights.
This database contains listings of nearly 12 million U.S. employers. Employer information is provided by Data Axle®, Omaha, NE, (866)-DATAXLE. Copyright © 2025. All Rights Reserved.
Major Educational Institutions
Name |
Type |
City |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana University Bloomington | Four-year | Bloomington |
| Ivy Tech - Bloomington | Two-year | Bloomington |
Source: Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Use INTraining to search for
training and education programs
Largest Cities and Towns in Economic Growth Region 8
| Name | Population in 2024 | Percent of region | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington | 79,986 | 25.1% | Monroe |
| Bedford | 13,853 | 4.4% | Lawrence |
| Washington | 12,881 | 4.0% | Daviess |
| Ellettsville | 6,829 | 2.1% | Monroe |
| Linton | 5,281 | 1.7% | Greene |
| Mitchell | 3,964 | 1.2% | Lawrence |
| Paoli | 3,617 | 1.1% | Orange |
| Loogootee | 2,617 | 0.8% | Martin |
| Spencer | 2,500 | 0.8% | Owen |
| Bloomfield | 2,297 | 0.7% | Greene |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
Helpful Regional Tools and Resources
EGR 8 IN Depth Regional Profile
At-a-glance details about the region's population, labor force, housing and more.
County Highlights
Get a snapshot of critical population and workforce statistics for each county in the region.
INDemand Jobs
Find job postings and training for the jobs that are both high wage and high demand.
Regional Labor Mix
Discover the regional mix of occupations and/or industries to gain insight into strengths or identify gaps.
Regionizer
Build a region to view demographics, commuting patterns, industry clusters and occupation clusters, including the ability to include counties that border Indiana.
Labor Force Projections
These are the official labor force projections to 2050 released in November 2018 by the Indiana Business Research Center.
Commuting
The commuting data page provides easy access to multiple commuting data sets and visualizations.