Essex County vs. Virginia
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Total Employment Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Essex County vs. Virginia
Essex County:
2022 Jobs = 5,241
2022 Percent of State = 0.09%
Virginia:
2022 Jobs = 5,599,585
2022 Percent of U.S. = 2.64%
Employment numbers remain the most popular and frequently cited statistics used for tracking local area economic conditions and trends. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) employment estimates reported measure the number of full- and part-time wage and salary employees, plus the number of proprietors of unincorporated businesses. People holding more than one job are counted in the employment estimates for each job they hold. This means BEA employment estimates represent a job count, not a people count. Also, BEA employment is by place-of-work, rather than by place-of-residence. Jobs held by neighboring county residents who commute to Essex County to work are included in the employment count for Essex County.
Data Definition:
The BEA employment series for states and local areas comprises estimates of the number of jobs, full-time plus part-time, by place of work. Full-time and part-time jobs are counted at equal weight. Employees, sole proprietors, and active partners are included, but unpaid family workers and volunteers are not included. Proprietors employment consists of the number of sole proprietorships and the number of partners in partnerships. The description "by place of work" applies to the wage and salary portion of the series and, with relatively little error, to the entire series. The proprietors employment portion of the series, however, is more nearly by place of residence because, for nonfarm sole proprietorships, the estimates are based on IRS tax data that reflect the address from which the proprietor's individual tax return is filed, which is usually the proprietor's residence. The nonfarm partnership portion of the proprietors employment series reflects the tax-filing address of the partnership, which may be either the residence of one of the partners or the business address of the partnership. The employment estimates are designed to be consistent with the estimates of wages and salaries and proprietors' income that are part of the personal income series. The employment estimates are based on the same sets of source data as the corresponding earnings estimates and are prepared with parallel methodologies. Two forms of proprietors' income-the income of limited partnerships and the income of tax-exempt cooperatives-have no corresponding employment estimates.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 1.
Figure 1 traces Essex County's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Essex County's total employment rose from 3,503 in 1969 to 5,241 in 2022, for a net gain of 1,738, or 49.61%.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 traces Virginia's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Virginia's total employment rose from 2,147,852 in 1969 to 5,599,585 in 2022, for a net gain of 3,451,733, or 160.71%.
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows Essex County's total employment growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Virginia, the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's total employment in 1969 as a base figure of 100, and the total employments in later years as a percentage of the 1969 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in total employment growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
Essex County's overall total employment growth was 49.61% over 1969-2022 trailed Virginia's increase of 160.71%, and fell below the United States' increase of 133.32%.
Total Employment as a Percent of the Virginia Total: 1969-2022
Total Employment as a Percent of the Virginia Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of contrasting the total employment growth of Essex County is to compare its individual percentage contributions to Virginia's statewide total employment over time, as shown in Figure 4. A rising share means a region's total employment grew faster, or declined less, than Virginia's total employment, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Essex County's total employment totaled 0.16% of Virginia's total employment, while in 2022 it comprised 0.09% thereby yielding a -0.07% share-shift.
   
 
Total Employment Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
-0.07%
=
0.09%
-
0.16%
 
   
Essex County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Essex County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 displays the short-run pattern of Essex County's total employment growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1970-2022. The average annual percent change for the entire 53-year period is also illustrated on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
On average, Essex County's total employment grew at an annual rate of 0.80% over 1970-2022. The county recorded its highest growth in 1983 (7.11%) and recorded its lowest growth in 2010 (-3.79%). In 2022, Essex County's total employment grew by 2.26%
Essex County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Essex County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 6.
Over the past five decades some counties have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 6 again depicts the annual percent change in Essex County's total employment since 1970, but this time they are overlayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, Essex County's annual total employment growth rate averaged 2.02%. It averaged 0.41% in the 1980s, 1.73% during the 1990s, 0.73% throughout the 2000s, -0.79% throughout the 2010s, 0.40% thus far this decade (2020-2022).
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Figure 7.
Figure 7 compares the decade average growth rates for Essex County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Virginia and the nation. As the chart reveals, Essex County's average annual total employment growth amounted to less than Virginia's average in the 1970s (2.02% vs. 2.58%), posted below Virginia's average throughout the 1980s (0.41% vs. 2.84%), recorded above Virginia's average in the 1990s (1.73% vs. 1.55%), fell below Virginia's average throughout the 2000s (0.73% vs. 1.12%), posted below Virginia's average during the 2010s (-0.79% vs. 1.14%), and amounted to less than Virginia's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (0.40% vs. 1.69%).
Finally, relative to nationwide total employment growth trends, Essex County lagged the nation over the 1970s (2.02% vs. 2.21%), posted below the nation throughout the 1980s (0.41% vs. 1.88%), registered above the nation over the 1990s (1.73% vs. 1.73%), fell below the nation over the 2000s (0.73% vs. 0.74%), fell under the nation throughout the 2010s (-0.79% vs. 1.51%), and lagged the nation over 2020-2022 (0.40% vs. 1.82%).
   
 
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
0.80
2.02
0.41
1.73
0.73
-0.79
0.40
2.26
 
1.84
2.58
2.84
1.55
1.12
1.14
1.69
3.84
 
1.62
2.21
1.88
1.73
0.74
1.51
1.82
4.78
 
   
Job Ratios (Employment/Population): 1969-2022
Job Ratios (Employment/Population): 1969-2022
Figure 8.
The job ratios shown in Figure 8 for Essex County, Virginia and the nation not only portray a number of important trends, they also serves as a thumbnail guide to evaluating an economy's capacity to generate enough jobs fast enough to absorb the increasing number of workers attendant to a growing population. The job ratio is the number of full-time and part-time jobs by place of work, divided by population.
Nationally, the job ratio rose from 0.45 to 0.64 between 1969 and 2022. Essex County's job ratio registered 0.49 in 1969, and 0.49 in 2022. Underlying the rising job ratio over the past several decades have been the increases in the labor force participation rates, with the number and proportion of women in the labor market playing a leading role.
An assortment of other factors can contribute to regional differences in the job ratio. They include differences in the proportion of elderly and retirees who no longer work and participate in the labor force, differences in the number and proportion of part-time vs. full-time workers, differences in industry composition, and differences in age and sex distribution and degree of urbanization. Also, a disproportionate number of workers commuting to work outside a county tends to lower its local county job ratio, while a net inflow of workers commuting to work inside the county tends to augment its local county job ratio.
Avoid interpreting the job ratio as the fraction (or percent) of the local population employed. This interpretation should only apply to the "employment-population ratio" statistic compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from the Current Population Survey (CPS).
Job Ratios (Employment/Population)
as a Percent of the U.S. Average:
1969-2022
Job Ratios (Employment/Population)
as a Percent of the U.S. Average:
1969-2022
Figure 9.
To highlight trends in a local job ratio relative to nationwide trends, Figure 9 tracks Essex County's, Virginia's job ratio as a percent of the national job ratio over 1969-2022.

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Essex County:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
3,503
100.0
N
0.16
0.49
109.04
1970
 
3,384
96.6
-3.40
0.16
0.48
106.28
1971
 
3,609
103.0
6.65
0.16
0.49
110.35
1972
 
3,583
102.3
-0.72
0.16
0.47
104.89
1973
 
3,688
105.3
2.93
0.15
0.47
101.37
1974
 
3,890
111.0
5.48
0.16
0.47
100.26
1975
 
3,900
111.3
0.26
0.16
0.46
99.70
1976
 
4,119
117.6
5.62
0.16
0.47
101.25
1977
 
4,151
118.5
0.78
0.16
0.46
97.12
1978
 
4,224
120.6
1.76
0.16
0.46
93.98
1979
 
4,261
121.6
0.88
0.15
0.47
93.28
1980
 
4,265
121.8
0.09
0.15
0.48
95.78
1981
 
4,209
120.2
-1.31
0.15
0.47
94.28
1982
 
4,152
118.5
-1.35
0.15
0.47
95.32
1983
 
4,447
126.9
7.11
0.15
0.50
101.87
1984
 
4,380
125.0
-1.51
0.14
0.49
96.70
1985
 
4,439
126.7
1.35
0.14
0.50
96.89
1986
 
4,480
127.9
0.92
0.14
0.51
97.22
1987
 
4,614
131.7
2.99
0.13
0.52
97.88
1988
 
4,487
128.1
-2.75
0.13
0.51
93.17
1989
 
4,422
126.2
-1.45
0.12
0.51
91.80
1990
 
4,706
134.3
6.42
0.13
0.54
97.39
1991
 
4,876
139.2
3.61
0.13
0.55
101.14
1992
 
5,042
143.9
3.40
0.14
0.56
103.06
1993
 
5,000
142.7
-0.83
0.13
0.54
98.81
1994
 
5,155
147.2
3.10
0.14
0.55
99.58
1995
 
5,150
147.0
-0.10
0.13
0.54
96.34
1996
 
5,090
145.3
-1.17
0.13
0.52
92.96
1997
 
5,138
146.7
0.94
0.13
0.53
92.98
1998
 
5,200
148.4
1.21
0.12
0.54
93.23
1999
 
5,238
149.5
0.73
0.12
0.53
91.54
2000
 
5,291
151.0
1.01
0.12
0.53
90.42
2001
 
5,094
145.4
-3.72
0.12
0.51
87.75
2002
 
5,143
146.8
0.96
0.12
0.51
88.94
2003
 
5,147
146.9
0.08
0.12
0.50
88.22
2004
 
5,374
153.4
4.41
0.12
0.52
91.03
2005
 
5,518
157.5
2.68
0.12
0.53
90.59
2006
 
5,547
158.3
0.53
0.12
0.52
88.99
2007
 
5,700
162.7
2.76
0.12
0.53
89.05
2008
 
5,643
161.1
-1.00
0.12
0.52
87.68
2009
 
5,622
160.5
-0.37
0.12
0.51
89.45
2010
 
5,409
154.4
-3.79
0.11
0.49
86.91
2011
 
5,336
152.3
-1.35
0.11
0.48
84.94
2012
 
5,412
154.5
1.42
0.11
0.49
85.99
2013
 
5,477
156.4
1.20
0.11
0.50
86.14
2014
 
5,554
158.5
1.41
0.11
0.51
87.20
2015
 
5,428
155.0
-2.27
0.11
0.50
84.13
2016
 
5,478
156.4
0.92
0.11
0.50
84.61
2017
 
5,379
153.6
-1.81
0.10
0.50
83.50
2018
 
5,301
151.3
-1.45
0.10
0.50
81.95
2019
 
5,183
148.0
-2.23
0.10
0.49
79.92
2020
 
5,029
143.6
-2.97
0.10
0.47
80.58
2021
 
5,125
146.3
1.91
0.10
0.49
79.54
2022
 
5,241
149.6
2.26
0.09
0.49
77.35
Source: Calculations by the Virginia Regional Economic Analysis Project (VA-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1000_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Virginia:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
2,147,852
100.0
N
2.36
0.47
102.91
1970
 
2,157,657
100.5
0.46
2.36
0.46
103.38
1971
 
2,196,371
102.3
1.79
2.40
0.46
104.36
1972
 
2,263,423
105.4
3.05
2.40
0.47
104.02
1973
 
2,384,496
111.0
5.35
2.42
0.49
104.35
1974
 
2,450,799
114.1
2.78
2.45
0.49
104.91
1975
 
2,425,437
112.9
-1.03
2.45
0.48
104.50
1976
 
2,501,192
116.5
3.12
2.46
0.49
104.35
1977
 
2,584,568
120.3
3.33
2.46
0.50
103.87
1978
 
2,697,755
125.6
4.38
2.46
0.51
103.38
1979
 
2,767,118
128.8
2.57
2.45
0.52
103.15
1980
 
2,796,505
130.2
1.06
2.45
0.52
103.85
1981
 
2,811,756
130.9
0.55
2.45
0.52
103.13
1982
 
2,823,682
131.5
0.42
2.47
0.51
104.32
1983
 
2,896,818
134.9
2.59
2.50
0.52
105.24
1984
 
3,041,492
141.6
4.99
2.52
0.54
105.44
1985
 
3,181,471
148.1
4.60
2.57
0.56
106.99
1986
 
3,316,133
154.4
4.23
2.63
0.57
108.55
1987
 
3,479,609
162.0
4.93
2.69
0.59
109.70
1988
 
3,558,017
165.7
2.25
2.66
0.59
107.89
1989
 
3,655,230
170.2
2.73
2.68
0.60
108.25
1990
 
3,699,593
172.2
1.21
2.67
0.60
107.39
1991
 
3,641,765
169.6
-1.56
2.65
0.58
106.25
1992
 
3,657,380
170.3
0.43
2.65
0.57
105.86
1993
 
3,730,015
173.7
1.99
2.65
0.57
105.80
1994
 
3,813,122
177.5
2.23
2.64
0.58
105.54
1995
 
3,902,673
181.7
2.35
2.64
0.59
105.32
1996
 
3,983,418
185.5
2.07
2.64
0.59
105.23
1997
 
4,081,751
190.0
2.47
2.64
0.60
105.45
1998
 
4,167,798
194.0
2.11
2.63
0.60
105.12
1999
 
4,261,127
198.4
2.24
2.64
0.61
105.15
2000
 
4,399,151
204.8
3.24
2.66
0.62
105.63
2001
 
4,417,451
205.7
0.42
2.67
0.61
105.65
2002
 
4,421,728
205.9
0.10
2.68
0.61
105.72
2003
 
4,467,318
208.0
1.03
2.69
0.61
106.03
2004
 
4,587,035
213.6
2.68
2.72
0.61
106.41
2005
 
4,700,990
218.9
2.48
2.73
0.62
106.39
2006
 
4,781,754
222.6
1.72
2.72
0.62
105.72
2007
 
4,869,298
226.7
1.83
2.71
0.63
105.40
2008
 
4,870,374
226.8
0.02
2.72
0.62
105.50
2009
 
4,758,069
221.5
-2.31
2.74
0.60
106.06
2010
 
4,743,177
220.8
-0.31
2.74
0.59
105.76
2011
 
4,802,651
223.6
1.25
2.73
0.59
104.90
2012
 
4,856,833
226.1
1.13
2.71
0.59
104.06
2013
 
4,898,617
228.1
0.86
2.69
0.59
102.90
2014
 
4,953,436
230.6
1.12
2.66
0.59
101.90
2015
 
5,060,270
235.6
2.16
2.66
0.60
101.99
2016
 
5,156,659
240.1
1.90
2.67
0.61
102.40
2017
 
5,229,126
243.5
1.41
2.66
0.62
102.28
2018
 
5,299,069
246.7
1.34
2.65
0.62
101.70
2019
 
5,329,577
248.1
0.58
2.64
0.62
101.53
2020
 
5,224,726
243.3
-1.97
2.68
0.60
102.70
2021
 
5,392,698
251.1
3.21
2.66
0.62
102.01
2022
 
5,599,585
260.7
3.84
2.64
0.64
101.17
Source: Calculations by the Virginia Regional Economic Analysis Project (VA-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1000_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
91,053,200
100.0
N
0.45
1970
 
91,277,600
100.2
0.25
0.45
1971
 
91,581,400
100.6
0.33
0.44
1972
 
94,312,200
103.6
2.98
0.45
1973
 
98,427,500
108.1
4.36
0.47
1974
 
100,111,800
109.9
1.71
0.47
1975
 
98,900,600
108.6
-1.21
0.46
1976
 
101,591,200
111.6
2.72
0.47
1977
 
105,042,200
115.4
3.40
0.48
1978
 
109,686,600
120.5
4.42
0.49
1979
 
113,147,100
124.3
3.15
0.50
1980
 
113,983,200
125.2
0.74
0.50
1981
 
114,914,000
126.2
0.82
0.50
1982
 
114,163,300
125.4
-0.65
0.49
1983
 
115,645,700
127.0
1.30
0.49
1984
 
120,528,100
132.4
4.22
0.51
1985
 
123,796,700
136.0
2.71
0.52
1986
 
126,232,300
138.6
1.97
0.53
1987
 
129,548,400
142.3
2.63
0.53
1988
 
133,563,900
146.7
3.10
0.55
1989
 
136,177,800
149.6
1.96
0.55
1990
 
138,330,900
151.9
1.58
0.55
1991
 
137,612,800
151.1
-0.52
0.54
1992
 
138,166,100
151.7
0.40
0.54
1993
 
140,774,400
154.6
1.89
0.54
1994
 
144,196,600
158.4
2.43
0.55
1995
 
147,915,800
162.4
2.58
0.56
1996
 
151,056,200
165.9
2.12
0.56
1997
 
154,541,200
169.7
2.31
0.57
1998
 
158,481,200
174.1
2.55
0.57
1999
 
161,531,300
177.4
1.92
0.58
2000
 
165,370,800
181.6
2.38
0.59
2001
 
165,522,200
181.8
0.09
0.58
2002
 
165,095,100
181.3
-0.26
0.57
2003
 
165,921,500
182.2
0.50
0.57
2004
 
168,839,700
185.4
1.76
0.58
2005
 
172,338,400
189.3
2.07
0.58
2006
 
175,868,600
193.1
2.05
0.59
2007
 
179,543,700
197.2
2.09
0.60
2008
 
179,213,900
196.8
-0.18
0.59
2009
 
173,636,700
190.7
-3.11
0.57
2010
 
172,901,700
189.9
-0.42
0.56
2011
 
176,091,700
193.4
1.84
0.56
2012
 
178,979,700
196.6
1.64
0.57
2013
 
182,328,100
200.2
1.87
0.58
2014
 
186,239,800
204.5
2.15
0.58
2015
 
190,325,800
209.0
2.19
0.59
2016
 
193,425,900
212.4
1.63
0.60
2017
 
196,394,100
215.7
1.53
0.60
2018
 
200,292,200
220.0
1.98
0.61
2019
 
201,635,200
221.4
0.67
0.61
2020
 
195,286,600
214.5
-3.15
0.59
2021
 
202,752,100
222.7
3.82
0.61
2022
 
212,442,000
233.3
4.78
0.64
Source: Calculations by the Virginia Regional Economic Analysis Project (VA-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1000_PN
 
   
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