Metropolitan U.S. vs. Rhode Island
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Total Employment Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Metropolitan U.S. vs. Rhode Island
Metropolitan U.S.:
2022 Jobs = 188,176,442
2022 Percent of State = 88.58%
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 nonmetropolitan statistical area residents who commute to the Metropolitan U.S. to work are included in the employment count for the Metropolitan U.S..
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 the Metropolitan U.S.'s and Rhode Island's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, the Metropolitan U.S.'s total employment rose from 76,332,670 in 1969 to 188,176,442 in 2022, for a net gain of 111,843,772, or 146.52%. In comparison, Rhode Island's total employment advanced from 440,080 in 1969 to 668,802 in 2022, for a net advance of 228,722, or 51.97%.
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 shows the Metropolitan U.S.'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.
The Metropolitan U.S.'s overall total employment growth was 146.52% over 1969-2022 outpaced Rhode Island's increase of 51.97%, and outpaced the United States' increase of 133.32%.
Total Employment as a Percent of the United States Total: 1969-2022
Total Employment as a Percent of the United States Total: 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Another interesting and insightful way of comparing the total employment growth of the Metropolitan U.S. and Rhode Island is to trace their individual percentage contributions to the United States' total total employment over time, as shown in Figure 3. A rising share means a region's total employment grew faster, or declined less, than the United States' total employment, while a declining share shows they grew more slowly.
In 1969, the Metropolitan U.S.'s total employment totaled 83.83% of the United States' total employment, while in 2022 it equated to 88.58% thereby yielding a +4.74% share-shift. Similarly, in 1969, Rhode Island's total employment consisted of 0.48% of the United States' total employment, while in 2022 it equated to 0.31%, resulting in a -0.17% share-shift.
   
 
Total Employment Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
-0.17%
=
0.31%
-
0.48%
+4.74%
=
88.58%
-
83.83%
 
   
Metropolitan U.S. Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Metropolitan U.S. Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 4.
Figure 4 displays the short-run pattern of the Metropolitan U.S.'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, the Metropolitan U.S.'s total employment grew at an annual rate of 1.73% over 1970-2022. The Metropolitan U.S. recorded its highest growth in 2022 (4.99%) and posted its lowest growth in 2020 (-3.21%). In 2022, the Metropolitan U.S.'s total employment grew by 4.99%
Metropolitan U.S. Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Metropolitan U.S. Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Over the past five decades some metropolitan regions have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 5 again traces the annual percent change in the Metropolitan U.S.'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, the Metropolitan U.S.'s annual total employment growth rate averaged 2.26%. It averaged 2.07% throughout the 1980s, 1.74% in the 1990s, 0.85% in the 2000s, 1.67% in the 2010s, 1.93% 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 6.
Figure 6 compares the decade average growth rates for the Metropolitan U.S. noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Rhode Island and the nation. As the chart reveals, the Metropolitan U.S.'s average annual total employment growth outperformed Rhode Island's average throughout the 1970s (2.26% vs. 0.98%), surpassed Rhode Island's average during the 1980s (2.07% vs. 1.51%), surpassed Rhode Island's average during the 1990s (1.74% vs. 0.13%), outpaced Rhode Island's average throughout the 2000s (0.85% vs. 0.39%), outgained Rhode Island's average in the 2010s (1.67% vs. 1.02%), and led Rhode Island's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (1.93% vs. 1.01%).
Finally, relative to nationwide total employment growth trends, the Metropolitan U.S. recorded above the nation during the 1970s (2.26% vs. 2.21%), exceeded the nation during the 1980s (2.07% vs. 1.88%), topped the nation in the 1990s (1.74% vs. 1.73%), recorded above the nation over the 2000s (0.85% vs. 0.74%), recorded above the nation throughout the 2010s (1.67% vs. 1.51%), and led the nation over 2020-2022 (1.93% vs. 1.82%).
   
 
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
1.73
2.26
2.07
1.74
0.85
1.67
1.93
4.99
 
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 7.
The job ratios shown in Figure 7 for the Metropolitan U.S., 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. the Metropolitan U.S.'s job ratio registered 0.46 in 1969, and 0.65 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 8.
To highlight trends in a local job ratio relative to nationwide trends, Figure 8 tracks the Metropolitan U.S.'s, Rhode Island's, and the United States' 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.

   
 
Metropolitan U.S.:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
76,332,670
100.0
N
83.83
0.46
102.08
1970
 
76,529,099
100.3
0.26
83.84
0.46
101.91
1971
 
76,690,971
100.5
0.21
83.74
0.45
101.81
1972
 
78,994,380
103.5
3.00
83.76
0.46
101.88
1973
 
82,553,134
108.1
4.51
83.87
0.48
102.00
1974
 
83,976,310
110.0
1.72
83.88
0.48
101.99
1975
 
82,932,953
108.6
-1.24
83.85
0.47
102.06
1976
 
85,068,711
111.4
2.58
83.74
0.48
101.95
1977
 
88,085,988
115.4
3.55
83.86
0.49
102.14
1978
 
92,211,162
120.8
4.68
84.07
0.51
102.36
1979
 
95,317,557
124.9
3.37
84.24
0.52
102.55
1980
 
96,192,405
126.0
0.92
84.39
0.51
102.66
1981
 
97,080,615
127.2
0.92
84.48
0.51
102.69
1982
 
96,574,130
126.5
-0.52
84.59
0.51
102.74
1983
 
97,890,710
128.2
1.36
84.65
0.51
102.69
1984
 
102,350,758
134.1
4.56
84.92
0.53
102.85
1985
 
105,527,363
138.2
3.10
85.24
0.54
103.02
1986
 
107,959,410
141.4
2.30
85.52
0.54
103.08
1987
 
110,916,491
145.3
2.74
85.62
0.55
102.95
1988
 
114,554,143
150.1
3.28
85.77
0.56
102.94
1989
 
116,872,036
153.1
2.02
85.82
0.57
102.82
1990
 
118,697,766
155.5
1.56
85.81
0.57
102.62
1991
 
117,923,088
154.5
-0.65
85.69
0.56
102.38
1992
 
118,241,772
154.9
0.27
85.58
0.55
102.15
1993
 
120,377,066
157.7
1.81
85.51
0.55
102.02
1994
 
123,222,447
161.4
2.36
85.45
0.56
101.90
1995
 
126,421,592
165.6
2.60
85.47
0.57
101.89
1996
 
129,265,304
169.3
2.25
85.57
0.57
101.95
1997
 
132,366,465
173.4
2.40
85.65
0.58
101.94
1998
 
136,021,698
178.2
2.76
85.83
0.59
102.03
1999
 
138,869,846
181.9
2.09
85.97
0.59
102.08
2000
 
142,396,424
186.5
2.54
86.11
0.60
102.11
2001
 
142,876,022
187.2
0.34
86.32
0.59
102.19
2002
 
142,590,547
186.8
-0.20
86.37
0.59
102.12
2003
 
143,452,182
187.9
0.60
86.46
0.58
102.13
2004
 
146,128,869
191.4
1.87
86.55
0.59
102.14
2005
 
149,308,360
195.6
2.18
86.64
0.60
102.15
2006
 
152,553,302
199.9
2.17
86.74
0.60
102.20
2007
 
155,904,793
204.2
2.20
86.83
0.61
102.21
2008
 
155,705,359
204.0
-0.13
86.88
0.60
102.16
2009
 
150,902,999
197.7
-3.08
86.91
0.58
102.07
2010
 
150,314,527
196.9
-0.39
86.94
0.57
101.99
2011
 
153,265,005
200.8
1.96
87.04
0.58
101.96
2012
 
155,995,970
204.4
1.78
87.16
0.58
101.93
2013
 
159,162,892
208.5
2.03
87.29
0.59
101.94
2014
 
162,862,590
213.4
2.32
87.45
0.59
101.96
2015
 
166,860,925
218.6
2.46
87.67
0.60
102.07
2016
 
169,971,911
222.7
1.86
87.87
0.61
102.17
2017
 
172,909,128
226.5
1.73
88.04
0.61
102.24
2018
 
176,624,991
231.4
2.15
88.18
0.62
102.31
2019
 
178,047,874
233.3
0.81
88.30
0.63
102.36
2020
 
172,334,325
225.8
-3.21
88.25
0.60
102.22
2021
 
179,226,785
234.8
4.00
88.40
0.63
102.40
2022
 
188,176,442
246.5
4.99
88.58
0.65
102.56
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.

Please stay tuned...
while your request is processing:

Please wait while your request is being processed...
To offer the most comprehensive set of interactive options in support of your research, RI-REAP calculates and crunches most of the data and generates the narrative and graphic analysis on demand in response to your request.
Your request will soon be available.
Just a few more seconds....Your request has been generated and is now loading the results.