Kent County vs. Rhode Island
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Total Employment Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Kent County vs. Rhode Island
Kent County:
2022 Jobs = 103,847
2022 Percent of State = 15.53%
Rhode Island:
2022 Jobs = 668,802
2022 Percent of U.S. = 0.31%
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 Kent County to work are included in the employment count for Kent 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 tracks Kent County's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Kent County's total employment rose from 42,274 in 1969 to 103,847 in 2022, for a net gain of 61,573, or 145.65%.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 traces Rhode Island's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Rhode Island's total employment rose from 440,080 in 1969 to 668,802 in 2022, for a net gain of 228,722, or 51.97%.
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows Kent County's total employment growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Rhode Island, 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.
Kent County's overall total employment growth was 145.65% over 1969-2022 outpaced Rhode Island's increase of 51.97%, and topped the United States' increase of 133.32%.
Total Employment as a Percent of the Rhode Island Total: 1969-2022
Total Employment as a Percent of the Rhode Island Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of contrasting the total employment growth of Kent County is to trace its individual percentage contributions to Rhode Island'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 Rhode Island's total employment, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Kent County's total employment comprised 9.61% of Rhode Island's total employment, while in 2022 it comprised 15.53% thereby yielding a +5.92% share-shift.
   
 
Total Employment Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
+5.92%
=
15.53%
-
9.61%
 
   
Kent County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Kent County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 shows the short-run pattern of Kent 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, Kent County's total employment grew at an annual rate of 1.75% over 1970-2022. The county posted its highest growth in 1976 (7.89%) and recorded its lowest growth in 2020 (-6.27%). In 2022, Kent County's total employment grew by 4.16%
Kent County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Kent 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 illustrates the annual percent change in Kent 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, Kent County's annual total employment growth rate averaged 4.71%. It averaged 2.36% in the 1980s, 0.91% throughout the 1990s, 0.52% throughout the 2000s, 0.59% during the 2010s, 0.68% 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 Kent County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Rhode Island and the nation. As the chart reveals, Kent County's average annual total employment growth surpassed Rhode Island's average during the 1970s (4.71% vs. 0.98%), outgained Rhode Island's average during the 1980s (2.36% vs. 1.51%), surpassed Rhode Island's average in the 1990s (0.91% vs. 0.13%), registered above Rhode Island's average during the 2000s (0.52% vs. 0.39%), recorded under Rhode Island's average in the 2010s (0.59% vs. 1.02%), and recorded under Rhode Island's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (0.68% vs. 1.01%).
Finally, relative to nationwide total employment growth trends, Kent County outpaced the nation in the 1970s (4.71% vs. 2.21%), topped the nation throughout the 1980s (2.36% vs. 1.88%), trailed the nation over the 1990s (0.91% vs. 1.73%), trailed the nation in the 2000s (0.52% vs. 0.74%), recorded underneath the nation throughout the 2010s (0.59% vs. 1.51%), and recorded underneath the nation over 2020-2022 (0.68% vs. 1.82%).
   
 
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
1.75
4.71
2.36
0.91
0.52
0.59
0.68
4.16
 
0.82
0.98
1.51
0.13
0.39
1.02
1.01
4.46
 
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 Kent County, Rhode Island 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. Kent County's job ratio registered 0.30 in 1969, and 0.61 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 Kent County's, Rhode Island'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.

   
 
Kent County:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
42,274
100.0
N
9.61
0.30
67.27
1970
 
44,287
104.8
4.76
10.06
0.31
69.35
1971
 
45,187
106.9
2.03
10.36
0.31
70.47
1972
 
47,622
112.7
5.39
10.65
0.32
71.72
1973
 
50,853
120.3
6.78
11.25
0.34
73.27
1974
 
52,687
124.6
3.61
11.99
0.35
75.11
1975
 
51,695
122.3
-1.88
12.20
0.34
75.09
1976
 
55,775
131.9
7.89
12.62
0.37
78.63
1977
 
59,469
140.7
6.62
12.95
0.38
80.54
1978
 
63,579
150.4
6.91
13.41
0.41
83.46
1979
 
66,729
157.8
4.95
13.81
0.43
85.84
1980
 
67,838
160.5
1.66
14.01
0.44
87.69
1981
 
68,405
161.8
0.84
14.14
0.44
88.65
1982
 
66,676
157.7
-2.53
14.05
0.43
87.91
1983
 
67,783
160.3
1.66
14.11
0.44
89.04
1984
 
71,216
168.5
5.06
14.14
0.46
89.95
1985
 
73,124
173.0
2.68
14.10
0.47
90.08
1986
 
77,045
182.3
5.36
14.35
0.49
93.17
1987
 
79,744
188.6
3.50
14.60
0.50
93.27
1988
 
82,630
195.5
3.62
14.76
0.52
94.37
1989
 
84,075
198.9
1.75
15.00
0.52
95.07
1990
 
83,161
196.7
-1.09
15.11
0.52
92.94
1991
 
79,485
188.0
-4.42
15.17
0.49
90.07
1992
 
82,463
195.1
3.75
15.58
0.51
93.88
1993
 
83,437
197.4
1.18
15.64
0.51
93.95
1994
 
84,932
200.9
1.79
15.94
0.52
94.37
1995
 
85,352
201.9
0.49
15.92
0.52
93.63
1996
 
87,080
206.0
2.02
16.13
0.53
94.48
1997
 
88,563
209.5
1.70
16.22
0.54
94.98
1998
 
89,030
210.6
0.53
16.05
0.54
93.96
1999
 
91,814
217.2
3.13
16.21
0.55
95.52
2000
 
94,938
224.6
3.40
16.30
0.57
96.70
2001
 
95,683
226.3
0.78
16.35
0.57
97.75
2002
 
96,742
228.8
1.11
16.45
0.57
99.45
2003
 
99,468
235.3
2.82
16.74
0.58
101.92
2004
 
102,005
241.3
2.55
16.93
0.60
103.73
2005
 
102,278
241.9
0.27
16.89
0.60
103.28
2006
 
103,210
244.1
0.91
16.89
0.61
103.91
2007
 
104,064
246.2
0.83
16.84
0.62
104.23
2008
 
101,324
239.7
-2.63
16.64
0.61
102.79
2009
 
96,390
228.0
-4.87
16.39
0.58
102.12
2010
 
94,463
223.5
-2.00
16.11
0.57
101.72
2011
 
95,531
226.0
1.13
16.15
0.58
101.92
2012
 
95,127
225.0
-0.42
16.04
0.57
100.70
2013
 
96,856
229.1
1.82
16.08
0.58
101.22
2014
 
97,631
230.9
0.80
15.92
0.58
100.26
2015
 
98,856
233.8
1.25
15.77
0.59
100.24
2016
 
99,684
235.8
0.84
15.74
0.60
99.87
2017
 
100,450
237.6
0.77
15.72
0.60
99.58
2018
 
102,232
241.8
1.77
15.76
0.61
99.27
2019
 
102,135
241.6
-0.09
15.69
0.60
98.68
2020
 
95,729
226.4
-6.27
15.55
0.56
95.38
2021
 
99,695
235.8
4.14
15.57
0.58
95.48
2022
 
103,847
245.7
4.16
15.53
0.61
95.12
Source: Calculations by the Rhode Island Regional Economic Analysis Project (RI-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.

   
 
Rhode Island:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
440,080
100.0
N
0.48
0.47
104.39
1970
 
440,434
100.1
0.08
0.48
0.46
103.45
1971
 
436,230
99.1
-0.95
0.48
0.45
102.20
1972
 
447,168
101.6
2.51
0.47
0.46
101.63
1973
 
452,029
102.7
1.09
0.46
0.46
99.24
1974
 
439,492
99.9
-2.77
0.44
0.46
98.22
1975
 
423,718
96.3
-3.59
0.43
0.45
97.54
1976
 
442,018
100.4
4.32
0.44
0.47
99.60
1977
 
459,260
104.4
3.90
0.44
0.48
100.60
1978
 
474,204
107.8
3.25
0.43
0.50
100.31
1979
 
483,338
109.8
1.93
0.43
0.51
100.28
1980
 
484,272
110.0
0.19
0.42
0.51
101.75
1981
 
483,652
109.9
-0.13
0.42
0.51
101.34
1982
 
474,725
107.9
-1.85
0.42
0.50
100.96
1983
 
480,235
109.1
1.16
0.42
0.50
101.51
1984
 
503,670
114.4
4.88
0.42
0.52
102.45
1985
 
518,775
117.9
3.00
0.42
0.54
102.90
1986
 
536,778
122.0
3.47
0.43
0.55
104.48
1987
 
546,024
124.1
1.72
0.42
0.55
103.19
1988
 
559,738
127.2
2.51
0.42
0.56
102.83
1989
 
560,370
127.3
0.11
0.41
0.56
101.50
1990
 
550,468
125.1
-1.77
0.40
0.55
98.74
1991
 
523,917
119.1
-4.82
0.38
0.52
95.30
1992
 
529,175
120.2
1.00
0.38
0.52
97.02
1993
 
533,447
121.2
0.81
0.38
0.53
97.03
1994
 
532,959
121.1
-0.09
0.37
0.52
95.73
1995
 
536,250
121.9
0.62
0.36
0.53
94.92
1996
 
539,724
122.6
0.65
0.36
0.53
94.28
1997
 
545,955
124.1
1.15
0.35
0.53
93.94
1998
 
554,761
126.1
1.61
0.35
0.54
93.64
1999
 
566,528
128.7
2.12
0.35
0.54
94.07
2000
 
582,589
132.4
2.83
0.35
0.55
94.65
2001
 
585,235
133.0
0.45
0.35
0.55
95.31
2002
 
588,125
133.6
0.49
0.36
0.55
96.12
2003
 
594,099
135.0
1.02
0.36
0.55
96.96
2004
 
602,389
136.9
1.40
0.36
0.56
97.22
2005
 
605,726
137.6
0.55
0.35
0.57
97.26
2006
 
611,113
138.9
0.89
0.35
0.57
97.53
2007
 
617,961
140.4
1.12
0.34
0.58
98.06
2008
 
608,884
138.4
-1.47
0.34
0.58
97.93
2009
 
588,270
133.7
-3.39
0.34
0.56
98.64
2010
 
586,329
133.2
-0.33
0.34
0.56
99.45
2011
 
591,668
134.4
0.91
0.34
0.56
98.97
2012
 
592,954
134.7
0.22
0.33
0.56
97.91
2013
 
602,374
136.9
1.59
0.33
0.56
97.96
2014
 
613,103
139.3
1.78
0.33
0.57
97.95
2015
 
626,983
142.5
2.26
0.33
0.58
98.41
2016
 
633,419
143.9
1.03
0.33
0.59
98.15
2017
 
638,851
145.2
0.86
0.33
0.59
97.93
2018
 
648,727
147.4
1.55
0.32
0.59
97.47
2019
 
650,995
147.9
0.35
0.32
0.59
97.41
2020
 
615,668
139.9
-5.43
0.32
0.56
95.33
2021
 
640,257
145.5
3.99
0.32
0.58
95.58
2022
 
668,802
152.0
4.46
0.31
0.61
95.93
Source: Calculations by the Rhode Island Regional Economic Analysis Project (RI-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 Rhode Island Regional Economic Analysis Project (RI-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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