Wilkin County vs. Minnesota
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Total Employment Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Wilkin County vs. Minnesota
Wilkin County:
2022 Jobs = 3,119
2022 Percent of State = 0.08%
Minnesota:
2022 Jobs = 3,844,786
2022 Percent of U.S. = 1.81%
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 Wilkin County to work are included in the employment count for Wilkin 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 Wilkin County's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Wilkin County's total employment dropped from 3,510 in 1969 to 3,119 in 2022, for a net loss of -391, or -11.14%.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 traces Minnesota's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Minnesota's total employment rose from 1,690,875 in 1969 to 3,844,786 in 2022, for a net gain of 2,153,911, or 127.38%.
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows Wilkin County's total employment growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Minnesota, 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.
Wilkin County's overall total employment growth was -11.14% over 1969-2022 trailed Minnesota's increase of 127.38%, and fell below the United States' increase of 133.32%.
Total Employment as a Percent of the Minnesota Total: 1969-2022
Total Employment as a Percent of the Minnesota Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of highlighting the total employment growth of Wilkin County is to compare its individual percentage contributions to Minnesota'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 Minnesota's total employment, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Wilkin County's total employment totaled 0.21% of Minnesota's total employment, while in 2022 it comprised 0.08% thereby yielding a -0.13% share-shift.
   
 
Total Employment Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
-0.13%
=
0.08%
-
0.21%
 
   
Wilkin County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Wilkin County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 displays the short-run pattern of Wilkin 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 traced 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, Wilkin County's total employment contracted at an annual rate of -0.20% over 1970-2022. The county recorded its highest growth in 1975 (4.71%) and recorded its lowest growth in 1998 (-4.91%). In 2022, Wilkin County's total employment grew by 1.56%
Wilkin County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Wilkin 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 shows the annual percent change in Wilkin 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, Wilkin County's annual total employment growth rate averaged 0.64%. It averaged -0.39% throughout the 1980s, -0.26% throughout the 1990s, 0.11% during the 2000s, -0.99% during the 2010s, -0.58% 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 Wilkin County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Minnesota and the nation. As the chart reveals, Wilkin County's average annual total employment growth trailed Minnesota's average during the 1970s (0.64% vs. 2.77%), lagged Minnesota's average during the 1980s (-0.39% vs. 1.75%), lagged Minnesota's average in the 1990s (-0.26% vs. 2.15%), lagged Minnesota's average in the 2000s (0.11% vs. 0.51%), posted below Minnesota's average during the 2010s (-0.99% vs. 1.00%), and recorded under Minnesota's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (-0.58% vs. 0.61%).
Finally, relative to nationwide total employment growth trends, Wilkin County fell below the nation during the 1970s (0.64% vs. 2.21%), trailed the nation throughout the 1980s (-0.39% vs. 1.88%), recorded underneath the nation in the 1990s (-0.26% vs. 1.73%), fell below the nation in the 2000s (0.11% vs. 0.74%), fell under the nation throughout the 2010s (-0.99% vs. 1.51%), and posted below the nation over 2020-2022 (-0.58% vs. 1.82%).
   
 
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
-0.20
0.64
-0.39
-0.26
0.11
-0.99
-0.58
1.56
 
1.58
2.77
1.75
2.15
0.51
1.00
0.61
3.58
 
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 Wilkin County, Minnesota 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. Wilkin County's job ratio registered 0.37 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 Wilkin County's, Minnesota'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.

   
 
Wilkin County:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
3,510
100.0
N
0.21
0.37
82.36
1970
 
3,450
98.3
-1.71
0.20
0.37
82.06
1971
 
3,452
98.3
0.06
0.20
0.37
83.60
1972
 
3,553
101.2
2.93
0.20
0.39
86.37
1973
 
3,652
104.0
2.79
0.19
0.40
86.79
1974
 
3,736
106.4
2.30
0.19
0.43
90.80
1975
 
3,912
111.5
4.71
0.20
0.45
97.85
1976
 
3,961
112.8
1.25
0.20
0.46
98.37
1977
 
3,842
109.5
-3.00
0.19
0.45
93.27
1978
 
3,714
105.8
-3.33
0.18
0.45
90.17
1979
 
3,729
106.2
0.40
0.17
0.45
90.10
1980
 
3,876
110.4
3.94
0.17
0.46
91.54
1981
 
3,777
107.6
-2.55
0.17
0.45
90.04
1982
 
3,639
103.7
-3.65
0.17
0.44
89.76
1983
 
3,603
102.6
-0.99
0.16
0.45
90.13
1984
 
3,662
104.3
1.64
0.16
0.45
88.71
1985
 
3,670
104.6
0.22
0.15
0.46
88.30
1986
 
3,596
102.5
-2.02
0.15
0.46
88.09
1987
 
3,592
102.3
-0.11
0.14
0.46
86.58
1988
 
3,536
100.7
-1.56
0.14
0.47
85.16
1989
 
3,578
101.9
1.19
0.14
0.47
86.00
1990
 
3,622
103.2
1.23
0.13
0.48
86.96
1991
 
3,606
102.7
-0.44
0.13
0.49
89.33
1992
 
3,593
102.4
-0.36
0.13
0.49
90.52
1993
 
3,645
103.8
1.45
0.13
0.49
91.02
1994
 
3,604
102.7
-1.12
0.12
0.49
89.57
1995
 
3,708
105.6
2.89
0.12
0.51
92.01
1996
 
3,647
103.9
-1.65
0.12
0.50
89.43
1997
 
3,626
103.3
-0.58
0.12
0.50
88.05
1998
 
3,448
98.2
-4.91
0.11
0.48
82.96
1999
 
3,480
99.1
0.93
0.11
0.49
84.23
2000
 
3,491
99.5
0.32
0.10
0.49
83.71
2001
 
3,445
98.1
-1.32
0.10
0.49
84.86
2002
 
3,442
98.1
-0.09
0.10
0.49
85.89
2003
 
3,400
96.9
-1.22
0.10
0.49
85.36
2004
 
3,340
95.2
-1.76
0.10
0.49
84.44
2005
 
3,396
96.8
1.68
0.10
0.50
85.62
2006
 
3,443
98.1
1.38
0.10
0.51
87.07
2007
 
3,476
99.0
0.96
0.10
0.52
86.85
2008
 
3,439
98.0
-1.06
0.10
0.52
88.12
2009
 
3,514
100.1
2.18
0.10
0.54
94.60
2010
 
3,596
102.5
2.33
0.11
0.54
97.51
2011
 
3,562
101.5
-0.95
0.10
0.54
95.32
2012
 
3,596
102.5
0.95
0.10
0.54
94.70
2013
 
3,548
101.1
-1.33
0.10
0.54
93.32
2014
 
3,508
99.9
-1.13
0.10
0.53
91.01
2015
 
3,463
98.7
-1.28
0.09
0.53
89.58
2016
 
3,360
95.7
-2.97
0.09
0.51
86.20
2017
 
3,256
92.8
-3.10
0.09
0.50
82.36
2018
 
3,202
91.2
-1.66
0.08
0.49
80.59
2019
 
3,176
90.5
-0.81
0.08
0.49
79.83
2020
 
3,059
87.2
-3.68
0.08
0.47
80.11
2021
 
3,071
87.5
0.39
0.08
0.48
78.46
2022
 
3,119
88.9
1.56
0.08
0.49
77.06
Source: Calculations by the Minnesota Regional Economic Analysis Project (MN-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.

   
 
Minnesota:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
1,690,875
100.0
N
1.86
0.45
99.47
1970
 
1,698,995
100.5
0.48
1.86
0.45
99.43
1971
 
1,706,080
100.9
0.42
1.86
0.44
100.02
1972
 
1,780,093
105.3
4.34
1.89
0.46
102.15
1973
 
1,877,806
111.1
5.49
1.91
0.48
103.78
1974
 
1,921,458
113.6
2.32
1.92
0.49
105.03
1975
 
1,920,410
113.6
-0.05
1.94
0.49
106.57
1976
 
1,976,597
116.9
2.93
1.95
0.50
106.98
1977
 
2,033,789
120.3
2.89
1.94
0.51
106.91
1978
 
2,121,891
125.5
4.33
1.93
0.53
107.29
1979
 
2,217,688
131.2
4.51
1.96
0.55
109.00
1980
 
2,248,180
133.0
1.37
1.97
0.55
109.71
1981
 
2,232,802
132.1
-0.68
1.94
0.54
108.44
1982
 
2,192,337
129.7
-1.81
1.92
0.53
107.68
1983
 
2,219,348
131.3
1.23
1.92
0.54
108.34
1984
 
2,324,144
137.5
4.72
1.93
0.56
109.37
1985
 
2,385,204
141.1
2.63
1.93
0.57
109.55
1986
 
2,417,493
143.0
1.35
1.92
0.57
109.36
1987
 
2,509,308
148.4
3.80
1.94
0.59
110.81
1988
 
2,580,304
152.6
2.83
1.93
0.60
109.95
1989
 
2,633,745
155.8
2.07
1.93
0.61
110.04
1990
 
2,691,896
159.2
2.21
1.95
0.61
110.66
1991
 
2,717,271
160.7
0.94
1.97
0.61
112.49
1992
 
2,762,016
163.3
1.65
2.00
0.61
114.06
1993
 
2,816,645
166.6
1.98
2.00
0.62
114.15
1994
 
2,903,666
171.7
3.09
2.01
0.63
114.93
1995
 
2,994,740
177.1
3.14
2.02
0.64
115.69
1996
 
3,056,007
180.7
2.05
2.02
0.65
115.64
1997
 
3,109,004
183.9
1.73
2.01
0.65
115.15
1998
 
3,189,396
188.6
2.59
2.01
0.66
115.33
1999
 
3,256,931
192.6
2.12
2.02
0.67
115.45
2000
 
3,330,936
197.0
2.27
2.01
0.68
115.20
2001
 
3,347,326
198.0
0.49
2.02
0.67
115.66
2002
 
3,337,728
197.4
-0.29
2.02
0.67
115.86
2003
 
3,347,012
197.9
0.28
2.02
0.66
115.80
2004
 
3,390,375
200.5
1.30
2.01
0.67
115.57
2005
 
3,448,129
203.9
1.70
2.00
0.67
115.49
2006
 
3,495,694
206.7
1.38
1.99
0.68
114.86
2007
 
3,540,345
209.4
1.28
1.97
0.68
114.07
2008
 
3,526,233
208.5
-0.40
1.97
0.67
114.03
2009
 
3,424,125
202.5
-2.90
1.97
0.65
114.55
2010
 
3,408,488
201.6
-0.46
1.97
0.64
114.81
2011
 
3,468,973
205.2
1.77
1.97
0.65
114.77
2012
 
3,505,288
207.3
1.05
1.96
0.65
114.25
2013
 
3,555,540
210.3
1.43
1.95
0.65
113.74
2014
 
3,603,670
213.1
1.35
1.93
0.66
112.87
2015
 
3,662,633
216.6
1.64
1.92
0.66
112.41
2016
 
3,697,854
218.7
0.96
1.91
0.67
111.61
2017
 
3,735,638
220.9
1.02
1.90
0.67
110.84
2018
 
3,776,940
223.4
1.11
1.89
0.67
109.65
2019
 
3,782,809
223.7
0.16
1.88
0.67
108.94
2020
 
3,607,496
213.4
-4.63
1.85
0.63
107.25
2021
 
3,711,807
219.5
2.89
1.83
0.65
106.43
2022
 
3,844,786
227.4
3.58
1.81
0.67
105.50
Source: Calculations by the Minnesota Regional Economic Analysis Project (MN-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 Minnesota Regional Economic Analysis Project (MN-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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