Douglas County vs. Washington
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Total Employment Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Douglas County vs. Washington
Douglas County:
2022 Jobs = 18,025
2022 Percent of State = 0.37%
Washington:
2022 Jobs = 4,815,623
2022 Percent of U.S. = 2.27%
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 Douglas County to work are included in the employment count for Douglas 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 Douglas County's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Douglas County's total employment rose from 5,639 in 1969 to 18,025 in 2022, for a net gain of 12,386, or 219.65%.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 tracks Washington's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Washington's total employment rose from 1,538,783 in 1969 to 4,815,623 in 2022, for a net gain of 3,276,840, or 212.95%.
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 portrays Douglas County's total employment growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Washington, 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.
Douglas County's overall total employment growth was 219.65% over 1969-2022 outpaced Washington's increase of 212.95%, and outpaced the United States' increase of 133.32%.
Total Employment as a Percent of the Washington Total: 1969-2022
Total Employment as a Percent of the Washington Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of comparing the total employment growth of Douglas County is to trace its individual percentage contributions to Washington'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 Washington's total employment, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Douglas County's total employment totaled 0.37% of Washington's total employment, while in 2022 it totaled 0.37% thereby yielding a +0.01% share-shift.
   
 
Total Employment Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
+0.01%
=
0.37%
-
0.37%
 
   
Douglas County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Douglas County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 displays the short-run pattern of Douglas 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, Douglas County's total employment grew at an annual rate of 2.29% over 1970-2022. The county recorded its highest growth in 1976 (11.65%) and posted its lowest growth in 1987 (-6.46%). In 2022, Douglas County's total employment grew by 3.96%
Douglas County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Douglas 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 traces the annual percent change in Douglas 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, Douglas County's annual total employment growth rate averaged 4.18%. It averaged 1.12% during the 1980s, 1.67% throughout the 1990s, 2.94% during the 2000s, 1.75% throughout the 2010s, 1.55% 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 Douglas County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Washington and the nation. As the chart reveals, Douglas County's average annual total employment growth registered above Washington's average throughout the 1970s (4.18% vs. 3.00%), recorded under Washington's average throughout the 1980s (1.12% vs. 2.84%), recorded under Washington's average during the 1990s (1.67% vs. 2.41%), outperformed Washington's average throughout the 2000s (2.94% vs. 1.04%), recorded under Washington's average throughout the 2010s (1.75% vs. 1.88%), and fell below Washington's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (1.55% vs. 1.66%).
Finally, relative to nationwide total employment growth trends, Douglas County registered above the nation over the 1970s (4.18% vs. 2.21%), trailed the nation during the 1980s (1.12% vs. 1.88%), fell below the nation during the 1990s (1.67% vs. 1.73%), topped the nation over the 2000s (2.94% vs. 0.74%), topped the nation throughout the 2010s (1.75% vs. 1.51%), and posted below the nation over 2020-2022 (1.55% vs. 1.82%).
   
 
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
2.29
4.18
1.12
1.67
2.94
1.75
1.55
3.96
 
2.20
3.00
2.84
2.41
1.04
1.88
1.66
5.23
 
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 Douglas County, Washington 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. Douglas County's job ratio registered 0.35 in 1969, and 0.41 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 Douglas County's, Washington'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.

   
 
Douglas County:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
5,639
100.0
N
0.37
0.35
76.31
1970
 
5,989
106.2
6.21
0.40
0.36
79.40
1971
 
6,159
109.2
2.84
0.42
0.36
81.30
1972
 
6,167
109.4
0.13
0.42
0.34
75.55
1973
 
6,165
109.3
-0.03
0.40
0.33
70.96
1974
 
6,357
112.7
3.11
0.39
0.34
71.70
1975
 
6,902
122.4
8.57
0.42
0.35
77.10
1976
 
7,706
136.7
11.65
0.44
0.38
80.53
1977
 
7,480
132.6
-2.93
0.41
0.35
73.17
1978
 
7,748
137.4
3.58
0.40
0.35
71.84
1979
 
8,419
149.3
8.66
0.41
0.39
76.52
1980
 
9,178
162.8
9.02
0.44
0.41
82.13
1981
 
9,599
170.2
4.59
0.45
0.42
84.21
1982
 
9,995
177.2
4.13
0.48
0.43
87.83
1983
 
10,434
185.0
4.39
0.49
0.44
89.93
1984
 
10,326
183.1
-1.04
0.47
0.43
84.78
1985
 
10,200
180.9
-1.22
0.45
0.42
80.76
1986
 
10,287
182.4
0.85
0.44
0.42
80.26
1987
 
9,622
170.6
-6.46
0.39
0.39
73.15
1988
 
9,126
161.8
-5.15
0.35
0.36
66.58
1989
 
9,314
165.2
2.06
0.34
0.36
65.42
1990
 
9,911
175.8
6.41
0.35
0.38
67.77
1991
 
10,008
177.5
0.98
0.35
0.36
66.68
1992
 
9,632
170.8
-3.76
0.33
0.34
62.87
1993
 
9,672
171.5
0.42
0.33
0.33
60.68
1994
 
10,200
180.9
5.46
0.33
0.34
61.28
1995
 
10,786
191.3
5.75
0.35
0.35
62.42
1996
 
11,054
196.0
2.48
0.35
0.35
62.79
1997
 
11,044
195.9
-0.09
0.33
0.35
61.11
1998
 
10,602
188.0
-4.00
0.31
0.33
56.95
1999
 
10,927
193.8
3.07
0.32
0.34
57.95
2000
 
10,945
194.1
0.16
0.31
0.33
57.15
2001
 
12,145
215.4
10.96
0.35
0.37
63.77
2002
 
12,365
219.3
1.81
0.35
0.37
65.19
2003
 
12,795
226.9
3.48
0.36
0.38
66.82
2004
 
12,944
229.5
1.16
0.36
0.38
65.86
2005
 
13,768
244.2
6.37
0.37
0.40
68.19
2006
 
13,820
245.1
0.38
0.36
0.39
65.94
2007
 
14,571
258.4
5.43
0.37
0.40
66.97
2008
 
14,663
260.0
0.63
0.37
0.39
66.85
2009
 
14,516
257.4
-1.00
0.38
0.38
67.61
2010
 
14,319
253.9
-1.36
0.38
0.37
66.55
2011
 
14,249
252.7
-0.49
0.37
0.37
65.37
2012
 
14,529
257.7
1.97
0.37
0.37
65.29
2013
 
14,932
264.8
2.77
0.37
0.38
66.14
2014
 
15,257
270.6
2.18
0.37
0.39
66.13
2015
 
15,285
271.1
0.18
0.36
0.38
64.20
2016
 
15,889
281.8
3.95
0.37
0.39
65.00
2017
 
16,664
295.5
4.88
0.38
0.40
66.64
2018
 
17,140
304.0
2.86
0.38
0.41
66.80
2019
 
17,238
305.7
0.57
0.38
0.40
66.03
2020
 
16,747
297.0
-2.85
0.38
0.39
66.07
2021
 
17,338
307.5
3.53
0.38
0.40
64.77
2022
 
18,025
319.6
3.96
0.37
0.41
63.99
Source: Calculations by the Washington Regional Economic Analysis Project (WA-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.

   
 
Washington:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
1,538,783
100.0
N
1.69
0.46
101.76
1970
 
1,491,143
96.9
-3.10
1.63
0.44
97.42
1971
 
1,456,722
94.7
-2.31
1.59
0.42
95.44
1972
 
1,480,987
96.2
1.67
1.57
0.43
95.34
1973
 
1,558,344
101.3
5.22
1.58
0.45
96.23
1974
 
1,621,514
105.4
4.05
1.62
0.46
97.39
1975
 
1,658,770
107.8
2.30
1.68
0.46
99.86
1976
 
1,738,939
113.0
4.83
1.71
0.47
100.90
1977
 
1,815,067
118.0
4.38
1.73
0.48
100.66
1978
 
1,938,600
126.0
6.81
1.77
0.50
101.01
1979
 
2,057,909
133.7
6.15
1.82
0.51
101.78
1980
 
2,104,574
136.8
2.27
1.85
0.51
100.98
1981
 
2,118,874
137.7
0.68
1.84
0.50
99.89
1982
 
2,093,972
136.1
-1.18
1.83
0.49
99.36
1983
 
2,140,060
139.1
2.20
1.85
0.50
100.61
1984
 
2,213,531
143.8
3.43
1.84
0.51
99.71
1985
 
2,277,144
148.0
2.87
1.84
0.52
99.46
1986
 
2,351,448
152.8
3.26
1.86
0.53
100.46
1987
 
2,470,016
160.5
5.04
1.91
0.55
101.93
1988
 
2,599,556
168.9
5.24
1.95
0.56
102.56
1989
 
2,717,905
176.6
4.55
2.00
0.57
103.79
1990
 
2,842,491
184.7
4.58
2.05
0.58
104.62
1991
 
2,877,018
187.0
1.21
2.09
0.57
105.24
1992
 
2,906,917
188.9
1.04
2.10
0.56
104.58
1993
 
2,950,534
191.7
1.50
2.10
0.56
103.20
1994
 
3,059,952
198.9
3.71
2.12
0.57
103.88
1995
 
3,101,334
201.5
1.35
2.10
0.57
101.86
1996
 
3,192,307
207.5
2.93
2.11
0.57
102.22
1997
 
3,298,010
214.3
3.31
2.13
0.58
102.53
1998
 
3,382,924
219.8
2.57
2.13
0.59
102.06
1999
 
3,446,900
224.0
1.89
2.13
0.59
101.91
2000
 
3,526,778
229.2
2.32
2.13
0.60
101.81
2001
 
3,515,729
228.5
-0.31
2.12
0.59
101.12
2002
 
3,489,176
226.7
-0.76
2.11
0.58
100.44
2003
 
3,516,324
228.5
0.78
2.12
0.58
100.72
2004
 
3,585,288
233.0
1.96
2.12
0.58
100.63
2005
 
3,687,833
239.7
2.86
2.14
0.59
101.06
2006
 
3,798,218
246.8
2.99
2.16
0.60
101.15
2007
 
3,924,866
255.1
3.33
2.19
0.61
101.91
2008
 
3,954,871
257.0
0.76
2.21
0.60
102.26
2009
 
3,815,623
248.0
-3.52
2.20
0.57
101.11
2010
 
3,771,422
245.1
-1.16
2.18
0.56
100.07
2011
 
3,814,269
247.9
1.14
2.17
0.56
98.89
2012
 
3,909,118
254.0
2.49
2.18
0.57
99.44
2013
 
3,991,747
259.4
2.11
2.19
0.57
99.43
2014
 
4,094,370
266.1
2.57
2.20
0.58
99.31
2015
 
4,199,164
272.9
2.56
2.21
0.58
98.89
2016
 
4,313,722
280.3
2.73
2.23
0.59
98.88
2017
 
4,432,271
288.0
2.75
2.26
0.60
98.99
2018
 
4,537,842
294.9
2.38
2.27
0.60
98.61
2019
 
4,592,322
298.4
1.20
2.28
0.60
98.46
2020
 
4,435,738
288.3
-3.41
2.27
0.57
97.49
2021
 
4,576,236
297.4
3.17
2.26
0.59
96.81
2022
 
4,815,623
313.0
5.23
2.27
0.62
97.04
Source: Calculations by the Washington Regional Economic Analysis Project (WA-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 Washington Regional Economic Analysis Project (WA-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, WA-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.