Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
The US population grew by 40% between 1970 and 2000. Over the same period,
employment increased by 70%, excluding agriculture and mining, for a net increase
of over 53 million jobs. Economic growth was particularly strong in the West and
South, and slower in the North and East (see Figure 6.2). This does not mean,
however, that employment deteriorated in the Northeast - only that population
growth was lower so that population pressures on the labor market were less than in
the West and South. At the state level, the correlation between the growth of non-
agricultural economic activity and population growth was almost linear over the
period 1970 to 2000. Statistically, 96% of the variance in population growth
between the states was explained by differences in the rate of job creation.
In absolute terms, the three states producing the lion's share in terms of job
growth are California, Texas and Florida. Nearly a third of US job growth
(17 million, or 32% of new jobs) was in these three states. The share of total
employment of these states went from 18% in 1970 to 24% in 2000. Population
growth was proportionally even faster. Of American population growth between
1970 and 2000, 42% occurred in these three states, which that their demographic
weight among the United States' federation increased from 19% to 25%. We must
then consider these states' relative economic importance, especially that of
California where the volume of employment nearly doubled in 30 years. As for
Texas, a more detailed map shows a significant contrast between the strong growth
of the metropolitan areas of the east and the relative stagnation in the west of the
state.
In relative terms, employment has more than doubled in 13 of 50 states.
Employment nearly quintupled in Nevada and almost quadrupled in Arizona. The
volume of employment tripled in Alaska. But the most impressive score remains that
of Florida, both in absolute and relative terms. Florida created 4.6 million non-farm
jobs, representing a tripling of jobs over 30 years. According to Nevada and Arizona
state records, other states of the intermountain West - Utah, Colorado, New Mexico,
Idaho - also experienced strong relative growth. Growth was also very strong, both
in absolute and relative terms, for both states in the Pacific Northwest - Washington
and Oregon - where employment figures rose at an average rate equal to that of the
West. In the South, Texas and Georgia more than doubled the number of jobs
between 1970 and 2000. Job growth in the mid-Atlantic states was slow. New York
increased the number of jobs by 18% between 1970 and 2000, while the state of
Pennsylvania added 25% new jobs over the same period. While these percentages
appear modest, we should not neglect to consider that job volumes were nonetheless
very significant. The number of jobs created over 30 years in New York and
Pennsylvania were, respectively, 1.26 million and 1.12 million.
