Caldwell County vs. North Carolina
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Total Employment Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Caldwell County vs. North Carolina
Caldwell County:
2022 Jobs = 35,771
2022 Percent of State = 0.54%
North Carolina:
2022 Jobs = 6,602,041
2022 Percent of U.S. = 3.11%
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 Caldwell County to work are included in the employment count for Caldwell 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 Caldwell County's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Caldwell County's total employment rose from 24,277 in 1969 to 35,771 in 2022, for a net gain of 11,494, or 47.35%.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 traces North Carolina's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, North Carolina's total employment rose from 2,457,997 in 1969 to 6,602,041 in 2022, for a net gain of 4,144,044, or 168.59%.
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows Caldwell County's total employment growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with North Carolina, 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.
Caldwell County's overall total employment growth was 47.35% over 1969-2022 trailed North Carolina's increase of 168.59%, and fell below the United States' increase of 133.32%.
Total Employment as a Percent of the North Carolina Total: 1969-2022
Total Employment as a Percent of the North Carolina Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of highlighting the total employment growth of Caldwell County is to compare its individual percentage contributions to North Carolina'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 North Carolina's total employment, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Caldwell County's total employment comprised 0.99% of North Carolina's total employment, while in 2022 it comprised 0.54% thereby yielding a -0.45% share-shift.
   
 
Total Employment Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
-0.45%
=
0.54%
-
0.99%
 
   
Caldwell County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Caldwell County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 displays the short-run pattern of Caldwell 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, Caldwell County's total employment grew at an annual rate of 0.78% over 1970-2022. The county recorded its highest growth in 1976 (8.80%) and recorded its lowest growth in 1975 (-5.84%). In 2022, Caldwell County's total employment grew by 2.96%
Caldwell County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Caldwell 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 Caldwell County's total employment since 1970, but this time they are displayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, Caldwell County's annual total employment growth rate averaged 2.59%. It averaged 1.70% during the 1980s, 1.37% in the 1990s, -2.02% throughout the 2000s, 0.16% throughout the 2010s, 1.02% 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 Caldwell County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for North Carolina and the nation. As the chart reveals, Caldwell County's average annual total employment growth surpassed North Carolina's average during the 1970s (2.59% vs. 2.20%), trailed North Carolina's average throughout the 1980s (1.70% vs. 2.36%), fell below North Carolina's average throughout the 1990s (1.37% vs. 2.27%), recorded under North Carolina's average throughout the 2000s (-2.02% vs. 0.85%), amounted to less than North Carolina's average in the 2010s (0.16% vs. 1.66%), and lagged North Carolina's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (1.02% vs. 2.44%).
Finally, relative to nationwide total employment growth trends, Caldwell County outgained the nation over the 1970s (2.59% vs. 2.21%), trailed the nation over the 1980s (1.70% vs. 1.88%), posted below the nation during the 1990s (1.37% vs. 1.73%), fell under the nation during the 2000s (-2.02% vs. 0.74%), posted below the nation throughout the 2010s (0.16% vs. 1.51%), and fell under the nation over 2020-2022 (1.02% vs. 1.82%).
   
 
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
0.78
2.59
1.70
1.37
-2.02
0.16
1.02
2.96
 
1.90
2.20
2.36
2.27
0.85
1.66
2.44
4.49
 
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 Caldwell County, North Carolina 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. Caldwell County's job ratio registered 0.43 in 1969, and 0.44 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 Caldwell County's, North Carolina'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.

   
 
Caldwell County:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
24,277
100.0
N
0.99
0.43
95.80
1970
 
24,294
100.1
0.07
0.98
0.43
95.53
1971
 
25,525
105.1
5.07
1.02
0.44
99.53
1972
 
27,468
113.1
7.61
1.06
0.46
102.84
1973
 
28,401
117.0
3.40
1.04
0.47
100.03
1974
 
28,244
116.3
-0.55
1.03
0.45
96.65
1975
 
26,594
109.5
-5.84
1.00
0.42
91.97
1976
 
28,934
119.2
8.80
1.05
0.46
97.44
1977
 
30,285
124.7
4.67
1.06
0.47
98.53
1978
 
30,989
127.6
2.32
1.05
0.47
95.90
1979
 
31,113
128.2
0.40
1.02
0.47
93.01
1980
 
30,982
127.6
-0.42
1.01
0.46
91.05
1981
 
32,140
132.4
3.74
1.05
0.47
94.39
1982
 
31,199
128.5
-2.93
1.03
0.46
93.03
1983
 
32,136
132.4
3.00
1.03
0.48
96.10
1984
 
33,017
136.0
2.74
1.00
0.48
94.09
1985
 
33,289
137.1
0.82
0.98
0.48
91.48
1986
 
33,608
138.4
0.96
0.96
0.48
91.68
1987
 
34,599
142.5
2.95
0.96
0.49
92.32
1988
 
36,191
149.1
4.60
0.96
0.51
93.55
1989
 
36,737
151.3
1.51
0.96
0.52
94.07
1990
 
36,537
150.5
-0.54
0.94
0.52
93.06
1991
 
36,673
151.1
0.37
0.95
0.51
94.60
1992
 
37,962
156.4
3.51
0.96
0.53
98.24
1993
 
38,969
160.5
2.65
0.95
0.54
99.28
1994
 
40,032
164.9
2.73
0.95
0.55
100.13
1995
 
40,856
168.3
2.06
0.94
0.55
99.63
1996
 
41,207
169.7
0.86
0.92
0.55
98.51
1997
 
41,096
169.3
-0.27
0.89
0.54
96.00
1998
 
41,805
172.2
1.73
0.89
0.55
95.75
1999
 
42,046
173.2
0.58
0.88
0.55
94.74
2000
 
43,244
178.1
2.85
0.88
0.56
94.94
2001
 
42,598
175.5
-1.49
0.88
0.54
93.57
2002
 
40,614
167.3
-4.66
0.84
0.51
89.66
2003
 
39,163
161.3
-3.57
0.81
0.49
86.26
2004
 
38,984
160.6
-0.46
0.79
0.49
85.07
2005
 
38,245
157.5
-1.90
0.75
0.48
81.75
2006
 
37,571
154.8
-1.76
0.72
0.46
78.80
2007
 
36,883
151.9
-1.83
0.68
0.45
75.85
2008
 
36,131
148.8
-2.04
0.67
0.44
74.29
2009
 
34,197
140.9
-5.35
0.66
0.41
72.97
2010
 
33,422
137.7
-2.27
0.65
0.40
72.06
2011
 
33,002
135.9
-1.26
0.62
0.40
71.04
2012
 
32,077
132.1
-2.80
0.60
0.39
68.91
2013
 
32,035
132.0
-0.13
0.59
0.39
68.22
2014
 
31,923
131.5
-0.35
0.57
0.39
67.52
2015
 
32,431
133.6
1.59
0.57
0.40
67.91
2016
 
33,103
136.4
2.07
0.57
0.41
68.64
2017
 
33,857
139.5
2.28
0.57
0.42
69.65
2018
 
34,675
142.8
2.42
0.57
0.43
70.36
2019
 
34,705
143.0
0.09
0.56
0.43
70.32
2020
 
34,655
142.7
-0.14
0.57
0.43
72.96
2021
 
34,743
143.1
0.25
0.55
0.43
70.62
2022
 
35,771
147.3
2.96
0.54
0.44
69.72
Source: Calculations by the North Carolina Regional Economic Analysis Project (NC-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.

   
 
North Carolina:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
2,457,997
100.0
N
2.70
0.49
108.01
1970
 
2,468,524
100.4
0.43
2.70
0.48
108.09
1971
 
2,490,307
101.3
0.88
2.72
0.48
108.13
1972
 
2,602,097
105.9
4.49
2.76
0.49
109.02
1973
 
2,719,564
110.6
4.51
2.76
0.51
108.49
1974
 
2,743,165
111.6
0.87
2.74
0.50
107.04
1975
 
2,647,462
107.7
-3.49
2.68
0.48
104.20
1976
 
2,753,858
112.0
4.02
2.71
0.49
105.43
1977
 
2,850,596
116.0
3.51
2.71
0.50
105.21
1978
 
2,945,933
119.9
3.34
2.69
0.51
103.92
1979
 
3,045,787
123.9
3.39
2.69
0.52
104.20
1980
 
3,052,458
124.2
0.22
2.68
0.52
103.15
1981
 
3,072,289
125.0
0.65
2.67
0.52
102.99
1982
 
3,041,512
123.7
-1.00
2.66
0.51
102.54
1983
 
3,128,522
127.3
2.86
2.71
0.51
104.07
1984
 
3,292,313
133.9
5.24
2.73
0.53
104.51
1985
 
3,392,276
138.0
3.04
2.74
0.54
104.25
1986
 
3,493,724
142.1
2.99
2.77
0.55
105.13
1987
 
3,610,298
146.9
3.34
2.79
0.56
105.44
1988
 
3,750,988
152.6
3.90
2.81
0.58
105.95
1989
 
3,838,492
156.2
2.33
2.82
0.58
105.97
1990
 
3,902,373
158.8
1.66
2.82
0.59
105.67
1991
 
3,865,529
157.3
-0.94
2.81
0.57
104.75
1992
 
3,963,816
161.3
2.54
2.87
0.57
106.70
1993
 
4,086,843
166.3
3.10
2.90
0.58
107.14
1994
 
4,201,049
170.9
2.79
2.91
0.58
106.66
1995
 
4,354,641
177.2
3.66
2.94
0.59
106.73
1996
 
4,458,978
181.4
2.40
2.95
0.59
106.02
1997
 
4,602,983
187.3
3.23
2.98
0.60
106.06
1998
 
4,708,195
191.5
2.29
2.97
0.60
104.94
1999
 
4,802,414
195.4
2.00
2.97
0.60
104.36
2000
 
4,891,957
199.0
1.86
2.96
0.61
103.28
2001
 
4,855,476
197.5
-0.75
2.93
0.59
101.82
2002
 
4,842,001
197.0
-0.28
2.93
0.58
101.31
2003
 
4,851,941
197.4
0.21
2.92
0.58
100.72
2004
 
4,961,645
201.9
2.26
2.94
0.58
100.60
2005
 
5,093,058
207.2
2.65
2.96
0.59
100.32
2006
 
5,251,529
213.7
3.11
2.99
0.59
99.92
2007
 
5,430,916
220.9
3.42
3.02
0.60
99.93
2008
 
5,413,522
220.2
-0.32
3.02
0.58
98.67
2009
 
5,215,727
212.2
-3.65
3.00
0.55
97.52
2010
 
5,178,397
210.7
-0.72
2.99
0.54
96.81
2011
 
5,292,804
215.3
2.21
3.01
0.55
97.20
2012
 
5,356,134
217.9
1.20
2.99
0.55
96.76
2013
 
5,436,745
221.2
1.51
2.98
0.55
96.34
2014
 
5,568,600
226.6
2.43
2.99
0.56
96.62
2015
 
5,694,917
231.7
2.27
2.99
0.57
96.63
2016
 
5,825,267
237.0
2.29
3.01
0.58
96.95
2017
 
5,919,022
240.8
1.61
3.01
0.58
96.74
2018
 
6,055,657
246.4
2.31
3.02
0.59
96.67
2019
 
6,149,071
250.2
1.54
3.05
0.59
97.11
2020
 
6,054,937
246.3
-1.53
3.10
0.58
98.37
2021
 
6,318,605
257.1
4.35
3.12
0.60
97.93
2022
 
6,602,041
268.6
4.49
3.11
0.62
96.81
Source: Calculations by the North Carolina Regional Economic Analysis Project (NC-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 North Carolina Regional Economic Analysis Project (NC-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1000_PN
 
   
Copyright © 2023. Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Analysis Project (PNREAP). All Rights Reserved.

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