Military economic impact hard to top
When it comes to a list of the most important pillars of the Harrison County economy, it’s hard to top the military. The numbers tell the tale.
Personnel: more than 17,000;
Students: 50,400;
Economic impact: $1.6 billion.
And those likely are underestimates.
Harrison County has been a military hotspot for years. It’s home to an Air Force, Navy, National Guard and Coast Guard bases. Every branch of the military, as well as reserves, are represented thanks to joint initiatives. On top of that, Harrison County is affected by military activities in nearby Hancock and Jackson counties. When those numbers are included, the workforce alone increases to at least 20,000, and the impact rises to more than $2 billion.
The military in Harrison County and the broader South Mississippi region is the proverbial 800-pound gorilla. Keesler Air Force Base alone calculates it’s “extended population,” which includes military and civilian employees, family members, retirees and their family members, at more than 93,000. That’s larger than the combined populations of Hancock and Pearl River counties, and doesn’t include the extended population of the other bases, either in Harrison County or South Mississippi.
But adding the numbers for all the military operations is tricky at best. Not every military activity compiles numbers the same way, and some – like economic impact – are simply not regularly gathered. Then there’s the question of full-time versus part-time, civilian employees versus contract employees, and “direct” versus “indirect” impact, just to name a few hurdles.
But Keesler, the largest base in Harrison County, does provide numbers that are instructive and much can be surmised from the numbers. In the most recent economic impact statement from fiscal year 2008, the base said it had 10,848 military/student and civilian personnel with a payroll of $351.5 million. By comparison, over the last four quarters South Mississippi’s 11 casinos had between 10,341 and 11,398 employees and a payroll of $386.5 million.
Add contracts and the total for Keesler goes to $458.8 million, and include “secondary jobs created” and it climbs to $589 million.
The indirect impact is much higher and includes jobs and services that exist in part because of the base. Keesler places the civilian jobs created off-base at 3,701 for a total of 14,549 jobs, direct and indirect. Add the 13,191 military retirees within a 50-mile radius and its $210.5 million payroll and the impact of Keesler rises to $1.2 billion.
But all of that is just Keesler. There are three other bases in Harrison County, and four others in nearby counties. John C. Stennis Space Center’s fiscal year 2008 statement shows the Navy, the largest tenant at Stennis, had a $195 million impact in a 50-mile radius. The payroll for just the 790 workers at the Naval Oceanographic Office is $84 million, according to officials.
In short, while nailing down the precise numbers is difficult, the numbers are clearly substantial. And based on information provided for this report, the chances seem pretty good that the figures will go up. Many of the facilities and operations anticipate growth.
While the numbers of workers, payroll, operating budgets and impact are all well and good, they show only a slice of what the military means to Harrison County. There’s a significance in the military presence that goes well beyond the dollars.
The military is interwoven in the fabric of Harrison County society. Flag down a resident and the changes are almost 1 in 5 that he or she will be a veteran. That’s close to twice the national average for counties. Many of those veterans are Harrison County natives, but others are transplants who served at one of the bases and opted to settle here. Many are movers and shakers in their local communities.
During the course of compiling this series, two things became clear during the interviews. The men and women in uniform who serve in Harrison County and the broader South Mississippi region are proud of what they do, and they feel welcome. As one high-ranking Navy officer put it, he likes being in a uniform when he’s out in the local community.
That’s an impact hard to measure.
