Lincoln County vs. Montana
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Total Employment Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Lincoln County vs. Montana
Lincoln County:
2022 Jobs = 10,195
2022 Percent of State = 1.37%
Montana:
2022 Jobs = 746,194
2022 Percent of U.S. = 0.35%
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 Lincoln County to work are included in the employment count for Lincoln 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 Lincoln County's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Lincoln County's total employment rose from 7,539 in 1969 to 10,195 in 2022, for a net gain of 2,656, or 35.23%.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 tracks Montana's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Montana's total employment rose from 297,954 in 1969 to 746,194 in 2022, for a net gain of 448,240, or 150.44%.
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows Lincoln County's total employment growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Montana, 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.
Lincoln County's overall total employment growth was 35.23% over 1969-2022 trailed Montana's increase of 150.44%, and fell below the United States' increase of 133.32%.
Total Employment as a Percent of the Montana Total: 1969-2022
Total Employment as a Percent of the Montana Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of highlighting the total employment growth of Lincoln County is to compare its individual percentage contributions to Montana'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 Montana's total employment, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Lincoln County's total employment totaled 2.53% of Montana's total employment, while in 2022 it equated to 1.37% thereby yielding a -1.16% share-shift.
   
 
Total Employment Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
-1.16%
=
1.37%
-
2.53%
 
   
Lincoln County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Lincoln County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 highlights the short-run pattern of Lincoln 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, Lincoln County's total employment grew at an annual rate of 0.63% over 1970-2022. The county recorded its highest growth in 1978 (9.36%) and posted its lowest growth in 1995 (-7.46%). In 2022, Lincoln County's total employment grew by 6.78%
Lincoln County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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, Lincoln County's annual total employment growth rate averaged -0.04%. It averaged 0.95% during the 1980s, 0.98% during the 1990s, 0.19% throughout the 2000s, 0.08% in the 2010s, 3.92% 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 Lincoln County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Montana and the nation. As the chart reveals, Lincoln County's average annual total employment growth amounted to less than Montana's average during the 1970s (-0.04% vs. 2.90%), led Montana's average in the 1980s (0.95% vs. 0.69%), posted below Montana's average during the 1990s (0.98% vs. 2.52%), fell below Montana's average in the 2000s (0.19% vs. 1.34%), recorded under Montana's average in the 2010s (0.08% vs. 1.03%), and surpassed Montana's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (3.92% vs. 2.87%).
Finally, relative to nationwide total employment growth trends, Lincoln County fell below the nation in the 1970s (-0.04% vs. 2.21%), fell under the nation over the 1980s (0.95% vs. 1.88%), posted below the nation during the 1990s (0.98% vs. 1.73%), fell under the nation in the 2000s (0.19% vs. 0.74%), lagged the nation in the 2010s (0.08% vs. 1.51%), and topped the nation over 2020-2022 (3.92% vs. 1.82%).
   
 
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
0.63
-0.04
0.95
0.98
0.19
0.08
3.92
6.78
 
1.76
2.90
0.69
2.52
1.34
1.03
2.87
4.19
 
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 Lincoln County, Montana 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. Lincoln County's job ratio registered 0.43 in 1969, and 0.47 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 Lincoln County's, Montana'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.

   
 
Lincoln County:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,539
100.0
N
2.53
0.43
94.78
1970
 
7,130
94.6
-5.43
2.37
0.39
88.12
1971
 
7,032
93.3
-1.37
2.29
0.39
87.55
1972
 
7,088
94.0
0.80
2.22
0.39
87.45
1973
 
6,927
91.9
-2.27
2.08
0.39
83.97
1974
 
6,533
86.7
-5.69
1.90
0.39
82.53
1975
 
6,325
83.9
-3.18
1.84
0.38
82.60
1976
 
6,473
85.9
2.34
1.80
0.39
82.74
1977
 
6,766
89.7
4.53
1.82
0.40
83.48
1978
 
7,399
98.1
9.36
1.90
0.42
85.77
1979
 
7,437
98.6
0.51
1.88
0.41
82.33
1980
 
6,999
92.8
-5.89
1.78
0.39
78.48
1981
 
7,106
94.3
1.53
1.80
0.40
79.48
1982
 
6,932
91.9
-2.45
1.77
0.39
78.29
1983
 
7,447
98.8
7.43
1.87
0.41
82.34
1984
 
7,497
99.4
0.67
1.84
0.40
78.39
1985
 
7,456
98.9
-0.55
1.83
0.40
76.90
1986
 
7,561
100.3
1.41
1.88
0.41
78.70
1987
 
7,744
102.7
2.42
1.91
0.43
80.38
1988
 
8,012
106.3
3.46
1.93
0.45
82.24
1989
 
8,131
107.9
1.49
1.92
0.46
83.88
1990
 
8,353
110.8
2.73
1.93
0.48
86.14
1991
 
8,194
108.7
-1.90
1.85
0.47
85.78
1992
 
8,303
110.1
1.33
1.82
0.47
87.43
1993
 
8,415
111.6
1.35
1.79
0.46
85.00
1994
 
9,157
121.5
8.82
1.85
0.50
90.67
1995
 
8,474
112.4
-7.46
1.68
0.45
81.46
1996
 
8,745
116.0
3.20
1.68
0.46
82.88
1997
 
8,756
116.1
0.13
1.67
0.47
82.20
1998
 
8,738
115.9
-0.21
1.63
0.47
81.02
1999
 
8,896
118.0
1.81
1.64
0.47
81.58
2000
 
8,868
117.6
-0.31
1.60
0.47
80.41
2001
 
8,543
113.3
-3.66
1.53
0.46
78.88
2002
 
8,447
112.0
-1.12
1.50
0.45
78.83
2003
 
8,423
111.7
-0.28
1.47
0.45
78.08
2004
 
8,737
115.9
3.73
1.49
0.46
79.78
2005
 
9,214
122.2
5.46
1.53
0.48
82.38
2006
 
9,396
124.6
1.98
1.52
0.49
82.91
2007
 
9,579
127.1
1.95
1.51
0.49
82.67
2008
 
9,365
124.2
-2.23
1.47
0.48
81.32
2009
 
9,032
119.8
-3.56
1.46
0.46
81.18
2010
 
8,847
117.3
-2.05
1.44
0.45
80.45
2011
 
8,688
115.2
-1.80
1.39
0.44
78.67
2012
 
8,683
115.2
-0.06
1.37
0.45
78.75
2013
 
8,617
114.3
-0.76
1.34
0.45
77.76
2014
 
8,561
113.6
-0.65
1.32
0.45
77.38
2015
 
8,580
113.8
0.22
1.30
0.46
77.21
2016
 
8,678
115.1
1.14
1.30
0.46
76.69
2017
 
8,829
117.1
1.74
1.31
0.46
76.58
2018
 
9,130
121.1
3.41
1.33
0.47
77.26
2019
 
9,098
120.7
-0.35
1.33
0.47
76.19
2020
 
9,047
120.0
-0.56
1.32
0.46
77.80
2021
 
9,548
126.6
5.54
1.33
0.46
76.01
2022
 
10,195
135.2
6.78
1.37
0.47
74.31
Source: Calculations by the Montana Regional Economic Analysis Project (MT-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.

   
 
Montana:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
297,954
100.0
N
0.33
0.43
94.91
1970
 
301,051
101.0
1.04
0.33
0.43
96.41
1971
 
307,216
103.1
2.05
0.34
0.43
97.57
1972
 
319,267
107.2
3.92
0.34
0.44
98.51
1973
 
332,623
111.6
4.18
0.34
0.46
98.19
1974
 
343,949
115.4
3.41
0.34
0.47
99.42
1975
 
344,226
115.5
0.08
0.35
0.46
100.09
1976
 
359,122
120.5
4.33
0.35
0.47
101.39
1977
 
371,699
124.8
3.50
0.35
0.48
100.81
1978
 
390,065
130.9
4.94
0.36
0.50
100.74
1979
 
396,111
132.9
1.55
0.35
0.50
99.62
1980
 
392,881
131.9
-0.82
0.34
0.50
99.30
1981
 
394,759
132.5
0.48
0.34
0.50
99.11
1982
 
390,753
131.1
-1.01
0.34
0.49
98.63
1983
 
398,497
133.7
1.98
0.34
0.49
98.97
1984
 
407,961
136.9
2.37
0.34
0.50
97.24
1985
 
406,393
136.4
-0.38
0.33
0.49
94.98
1986
 
402,177
135.0
-1.04
0.32
0.49
94.02
1987
 
405,938
136.2
0.94
0.31
0.50
94.30
1988
 
415,921
139.6
2.46
0.31
0.52
95.15
1989
 
423,726
142.2
1.88
0.31
0.53
96.04
1990
 
433,400
145.5
2.28
0.31
0.54
97.74
1991
 
443,734
148.9
2.38
0.32
0.55
100.75
1992
 
455,725
153.0
2.70
0.33
0.55
102.46
1993
 
470,150
157.8
3.17
0.33
0.56
102.76
1994
 
494,287
165.9
5.13
0.34
0.57
104.72
1995
 
503,532
169.0
1.87
0.34
0.57
103.41
1996
 
519,262
174.3
3.12
0.34
0.59
104.49
1997
 
525,616
176.4
1.22
0.34
0.59
104.21
1998
 
535,785
179.8
1.93
0.34
0.60
104.50
1999
 
543,115
182.3
1.37
0.34
0.61
104.54
2000
 
552,690
185.5
1.76
0.33
0.61
104.34
2001
 
559,924
187.9
1.31
0.34
0.62
106.29
2002
 
564,636
189.5
0.84
0.34
0.62
107.90
2003
 
571,208
191.7
1.16
0.34
0.62
108.60
2004
 
585,505
196.5
2.50
0.35
0.63
109.18
2005
 
600,567
201.6
2.57
0.35
0.64
109.54
2006
 
616,917
207.1
2.72
0.35
0.65
109.86
2007
 
635,629
213.3
3.03
0.35
0.66
110.54
2008
 
636,195
213.5
0.09
0.35
0.65
110.56
2009
 
619,453
207.9
-2.63
0.36
0.63
111.22
2010
 
616,391
206.9
-0.49
0.36
0.62
111.31
2011
 
623,221
209.2
1.11
0.35
0.62
110.57
2012
 
633,197
212.5
1.60
0.35
0.63
110.61
2013
 
642,072
215.5
1.40
0.35
0.63
109.79
2014
 
649,048
217.8
1.09
0.35
0.63
108.55
2015
 
660,573
221.7
1.78
0.35
0.64
107.98
2016
 
667,793
224.1
1.09
0.35
0.64
107.10
2017
 
674,409
226.3
0.99
0.34
0.64
106.01
2018
 
684,043
229.6
1.43
0.34
0.64
105.20
2019
 
685,999
230.2
0.29
0.34
0.64
104.47
2020
 
684,052
229.6
-0.28
0.35
0.63
106.82
2021
 
716,176
240.4
4.70
0.35
0.65
106.02
2022
 
746,194
250.4
4.19
0.35
0.66
104.26
Source: Calculations by the Montana Regional Economic Analysis Project (MT-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 Montana Regional Economic Analysis Project (MT-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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