The net growth or decline in jobs by sector, shown as a percentage gain or loss from 2001 to 2017.
Job growth by sector is a key indicator of economic vitality, and reveals how the structure of industry and the composition of employment in the region are changing.
Among large sectors, Essex County has seen the greatest growth in the Financial Activities (64%), Healthcare and Social Assistance (54%) and Leisure and Hospitality (32%) sectors. The biggest decline among major sectors was in Manufacturing, where jobs fell 31%. Some smaller sectors had large gains or declines: Educational Services, with 3% of total jobs, grew 71% since 2001, and Information, with 1.7% of all jobs, declined 20%. Trends in Essex County were very similar to statewide and national trends.
The largest sectors in Essex County in 2017 were Health Care and Social Assistance and Trade, Transportation and Utilities both with 16% of total jobs, followed by Professional and Business Services (14%), Leisure and Hospitality (10%), and Government (9.4%). These shares were largely similar to the state and national distribution of jobs.
Essex County's trends were very similar to trends in the comparison counties. All the counties, for example, had losses in Manufacturing - jobs fell 36% in Westchester, NY, 35% in Middlesex, MA and 5% in Lake County, IL. - and gains in Financial Activities - up 65% in Westchester, 61% in Middlesex and 26% in Lake.
County employment estimates are reported by place of work, not place of residence. 2018 data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2019.
| Agriculture | Construction | Educational Services | Financial Activities | Government | Health Care and Social Assistance | Information | Leisure and Hospitality | Manufacturing | Natural Resources and Mining | Other Services | Professional and Business Services | Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | -22% | 26% | 71% | 64% | 3% | 54% | -20% | 32% | -31% | 0% | 33% | 23% | 10% | 18% |
| Middlesex County, MA | 58% | 16% | 22% | 61% | 7% | 47% | -7% | 41% | -35% | 4% | 19% | 28% | 3% | 17% |
| Lake County, IL | -25% | -16% | 20% | 26% | -9% | 32% | -33% | 31% | -5% | N/A | 20% | 22% | 2% | 9% |
| Westchester County, NY | -4% | 17% | 31% | 65% | -1% | 22% | -43% | 45% | -36% | N/A | 26% | 18% | 1% | 17% |
| Massachusetts | 6% | 18% | 33% | 40% | 1% | 49% | -13% | 37% | -35% | 8% | 23% | 24% | 8% | 17% |
| Agriculture | Construction | Educational Services | Financial Activities | Government | Health Care and Social Assistance | Information | Leisure and Hospitality | Manufacturing | Natural Resources and Mining | Other Services | Professional and Business Services | Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | 661 | 26,434 | 14,071 | 41,455 | 43,526 | 73,907 | 7,879 | 44,945 | 41,361 | 1,701 | 28,126 | 66,589 | 73,840 | 464,495 |
| Middlesex County, MA | 2,331 | 63,808 | 89,738 | 105,169 | 94,939 | 139,570 | 46,526 | 101,322 | 77,649 | 1,752 | 55,768 | 291,610 | 171,271 | 1,241,453 |
| Lake County, IL | 511 | 19,146 | 9,226 | 53,670 | 56,639 | 37,743 | 4,601 | 38,108 | 53,255 | N/A | 23,401 | 82,407 | 85,705 | 465,734 |
| Westchester County, NY | 379 | 38,018 | 25,218 | 100,009 | 63,972 | 88,056 | 10,624 | 54,969 | 14,998 | N/A | 41,629 | 96,566 | 93,008 | 628,571 |
| Massachusetts | 11,392 | 256,534 | 246,048 | 495,136 | 462,752 | 700,700 | 106,946 | 456,229 | 260,925 | 14,185 | 242,127 | 797,474 | 727,230 | 4,777,678 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | ESSEX COUNTY |
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