Kalamazoo County vs. Michigan
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Total Employment Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Kalamazoo County vs. Michigan
Kalamazoo County:
2022 Jobs = 162,853
2022 Percent of State = 2.78%
Michigan:
2022 Jobs = 5,864,009
2022 Percent of U.S. = 2.76%
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 Kalamazoo County to work are included in the employment count for Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo County's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Kalamazoo County's total employment rose from 89,761 in 1969 to 162,853 in 2022, for a net gain of 73,092, or 81.43%.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 tracks Michigan's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Michigan's total employment rose from 3,639,946 in 1969 to 5,864,009 in 2022, for a net gain of 2,224,063, or 61.10%.
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows Kalamazoo County's total employment growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Michigan, 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.
Kalamazoo County's overall total employment growth was 81.43% over 1969-2022 outpaced Michigan's increase of 61.10%, and fell below the United States' increase of 133.32%.
Total Employment as a Percent of the Michigan Total: 1969-2022
Total Employment as a Percent of the Michigan Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of contrasting the total employment growth of Kalamazoo County is to compare its individual percentage contributions to Michigan'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 Michigan's total employment, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Kalamazoo County's total employment comprised 2.47% of Michigan's total employment, while in 2022 it comprised 2.78% thereby yielding a +0.31% share-shift.
   
 
Total Employment Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
+0.31%
=
2.78%
-
2.47%
 
   
Kalamazoo County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Kalamazoo County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 displays the short-run pattern of Kalamazoo 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, Kalamazoo County's total employment grew at an annual rate of 1.15% over 1970-2022. The county recorded its highest growth in 1977 (5.12%) and posted its lowest growth in 2020 (-4.69%). In 2022, Kalamazoo County's total employment grew by 4.72%
Kalamazoo County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo 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, Kalamazoo County's annual total employment growth rate averaged 2.33%. It averaged 1.80% throughout the 1980s, 1.10% during the 1990s, -0.44% during the 2000s, 1.00% in the 2010s, 1.05% 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 Kalamazoo County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Michigan and the nation. As the chart reveals, Kalamazoo County's average annual total employment growth outperformed Michigan's average during the 1970s (2.33% vs. 1.55%), recorded above Michigan's average throughout the 1980s (1.80% vs. 1.13%), fell below Michigan's average throughout the 1990s (1.10% vs. 1.55%), surpassed Michigan's average in the 2000s (-0.44% vs. -0.81%), trailed Michigan's average throughout the 2010s (1.00% vs. 1.25%), and registered above Michigan's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (1.05% vs. 0.99%).
Finally, relative to nationwide total employment growth trends, Kalamazoo County topped the nation over the 1970s (2.33% vs. 2.21%), posted below the nation in the 1980s (1.80% vs. 1.88%), posted below the nation during the 1990s (1.10% vs. 1.73%), posted below the nation in the 2000s (-0.44% vs. 0.74%), trailed the nation over the 2010s (1.00% vs. 1.51%), and posted below the nation over 2020-2022 (1.05% vs. 1.82%).
   
 
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
1.15
2.33
1.80
1.10
-0.44
1.00
1.05
4.72
 
0.94
1.55
1.13
1.55
-0.81
1.25
0.99
4.68
 
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 Kalamazoo County, Michigan 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. Kalamazoo County's job ratio registered 0.46 in 1969, and 0.62 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 Kalamazoo County's, Michigan'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.

   
 
Kalamazoo County:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
89,761
100.0
N
2.47
0.46
101.32
1970
 
88,509
98.6
-1.39
2.49
0.44
98.11
1971
 
87,326
97.3
-1.34
2.45
0.43
97.83
1972
 
90,162
100.4
3.25
2.45
0.44
98.62
1973
 
94,661
105.5
4.99
2.45
0.47
101.06
1974
 
97,083
108.2
2.56
2.52
0.48
102.10
1975
 
97,955
109.1
0.90
2.65
0.48
104.76
1976
 
100,731
112.2
2.83
2.62
0.49
104.75
1977
 
105,885
118.0
5.12
2.64
0.51
106.76
1978
 
110,283
122.9
4.15
2.63
0.53
106.82
1979
 
112,779
125.6
2.26
2.67
0.54
106.44
1980
 
111,333
124.0
-1.28
2.76
0.52
104.39
1981
 
110,831
123.5
-0.45
2.79
0.52
103.88
1982
 
108,429
120.8
-2.17
2.84
0.51
103.09
1983
 
108,176
120.5
-0.23
2.80
0.51
102.94
1984
 
111,299
124.0
2.89
2.75
0.52
102.24
1985
 
114,469
127.5
2.85
2.70
0.53
102.68
1986
 
118,200
131.7
3.26
2.72
0.55
103.99
1987
 
123,581
137.7
4.55
2.76
0.57
105.69
1988
 
128,967
143.7
4.36
2.81
0.58
106.64
1989
 
134,437
149.8
4.24
2.85
0.60
109.44
1990
 
135,706
151.2
0.94
2.83
0.61
109.35
1991
 
137,208
152.9
1.11
2.91
0.61
112.10
1992
 
138,198
154.0
0.72
2.91
0.61
112.91
1993
 
141,216
157.3
2.18
2.93
0.62
113.62
1994
 
143,279
159.6
1.46
2.87
0.62
113.40
1995
 
147,040
163.8
2.62
2.86
0.63
114.01
1996
 
148,677
165.6
1.11
2.83
0.64
113.35
1997
 
149,366
166.4
0.46
2.80
0.64
112.09
1998
 
148,671
165.6
-0.47
2.76
0.63
109.51
1999
 
149,974
167.1
0.88
2.73
0.63
109.05
2000
 
151,273
168.5
0.87
2.69
0.63
107.99
2001
 
148,422
165.4
-1.88
2.69
0.62
106.43
2002
 
147,622
164.5
-0.54
2.70
0.61
106.30
2003
 
146,658
163.4
-0.65
2.70
0.60
105.16
2004
 
147,671
164.5
0.69
2.70
0.61
105.60
2005
 
148,848
165.8
0.80
2.71
0.61
104.92
2006
 
149,362
166.4
0.35
2.74
0.61
103.78
2007
 
150,994
168.2
1.09
2.77
0.62
103.22
2008
 
148,548
165.5
-1.62
2.78
0.60
102.11
2009
 
143,336
159.7
-3.51
2.84
0.58
101.69
2010
 
140,774
156.8
-1.79
2.79
0.56
100.49
2011
 
141,485
157.6
0.51
2.74
0.56
99.38
2012
 
143,342
159.7
1.31
2.74
0.56
98.92
2013
 
145,780
162.4
1.70
2.74
0.57
98.90
2014
 
147,919
164.8
1.47
2.73
0.57
98.55
2015
 
150,357
167.5
1.65
2.73
0.58
98.68
2016
 
153,182
170.7
1.88
2.75
0.59
99.18
2017
 
155,474
173.2
1.50
2.76
0.60
99.31
2018
 
158,154
176.2
1.72
2.77
0.60
99.14
2019
 
158,218
176.3
0.04
2.77
0.60
99.03
2020
 
150,793
168.0
-4.69
2.80
0.58
97.79
2021
 
155,514
173.3
3.13
2.78
0.60
97.69
2022
 
162,853
181.4
4.72
2.78
0.62
97.82
Source: Calculations by the Michigan Regional Economic Analysis Project (MI-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.

   
 
Michigan:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
3,639,946
100.0
N
4.00
0.41
91.64
1970
 
3,558,466
97.8
-2.24
3.90
0.40
89.31
1971
 
3,570,770
98.1
0.35
3.90
0.40
89.88
1972
 
3,686,984
101.3
3.25
3.91
0.41
90.65
1973
 
3,857,800
106.0
4.63
3.92
0.43
91.31
1974
 
3,853,663
105.9
-0.11
3.85
0.42
90.15
1975
 
3,694,690
101.5
-4.13
3.74
0.41
88.37
1976
 
3,843,552
105.6
4.03
3.78
0.42
90.28
1977
 
4,015,637
110.3
4.48
3.82
0.44
91.74
1978
 
4,186,324
115.0
4.25
3.82
0.45
92.12
1979
 
4,228,172
116.2
1.00
3.74
0.46
90.73
1980
 
4,029,904
110.7
-4.69
3.54
0.44
86.80
1981
 
3,978,474
109.3
-1.28
3.46
0.43
86.27
1982
 
3,823,220
105.0
-3.90
3.35
0.42
85.11
1983
 
3,866,320
106.2
1.13
3.34
0.43
86.39
1984
 
4,040,112
111.0
4.50
3.35
0.45
87.35
1985
 
4,233,369
116.3
4.78
3.42
0.47
89.64
1986
 
4,348,837
119.5
2.73
3.45
0.48
90.63
1987
 
4,482,585
123.1
3.08
3.46
0.49
91.25
1988
 
4,581,562
125.9
2.21
3.43
0.50
90.98
1989
 
4,709,207
129.4
2.79
3.46
0.51
92.24
1990
 
4,790,620
131.6
1.73
3.46
0.51
92.84
1991
 
4,721,340
129.7
-1.45
3.43
0.50
92.33
1992
 
4,751,280
130.5
0.63
3.44
0.50
93.06
1993
 
4,811,999
132.2
1.28
3.42
0.50
93.13
1994
 
4,984,712
136.9
3.59
3.46
0.52
94.77
1995
 
5,141,766
141.3
3.15
3.48
0.53
95.66
1996
 
5,247,019
144.2
2.05
3.47
0.54
95.89
1997
 
5,329,933
146.4
1.58
3.45
0.54
95.86
1998
 
5,383,530
147.9
1.01
3.40
0.55
95.15
1999
 
5,485,654
150.7
1.90
3.40
0.55
95.75
2000
 
5,621,494
154.4
2.48
3.40
0.56
96.37
2001
 
5,526,201
151.8
-1.70
3.34
0.55
95.23
2002
 
5,466,125
150.2
-1.09
3.31
0.55
95.08
2003
 
5,441,678
149.5
-0.45
3.28
0.54
94.76
2004
 
5,467,547
150.2
0.48
3.24
0.54
94.30
2005
 
5,491,717
150.9
0.44
3.19
0.55
93.69
2006
 
5,457,438
149.9
-0.62
3.10
0.54
92.26
2007
 
5,457,366
149.9
0.00
3.04
0.55
91.55
2008
 
5,337,592
146.6
-2.19
2.98
0.54
91.05
2009
 
5,046,457
138.6
-5.45
2.91
0.51
90.04
2010
 
5,038,098
138.4
-0.17
2.91
0.51
91.24
2011
 
5,165,197
141.9
2.52
2.93
0.52
92.44
2012
 
5,234,356
143.8
1.34
2.92
0.53
92.67
2013
 
5,323,127
146.2
1.70
2.92
0.54
92.96
2014
 
5,412,068
148.7
1.67
2.91
0.54
93.01
2015
 
5,501,527
151.1
1.65
2.89
0.55
93.15
2016
 
5,575,793
153.2
1.35
2.88
0.56
93.35
2017
 
5,631,139
154.7
0.99
2.87
0.56
93.19
2018
 
5,715,122
157.0
1.49
2.85
0.57
93.09
2019
 
5,713,233
157.0
-0.03
2.83
0.57
92.84
2020
 
5,387,741
148.0
-5.70
2.76
0.54
90.83
2021
 
5,601,637
153.9
3.97
2.76
0.56
91.39
2022
 
5,864,009
161.1
4.68
2.76
0.58
91.68
Source: Calculations by the Michigan Regional Economic Analysis Project (MI-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 Michigan Regional Economic Analysis Project (MI-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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