Cherokee County vs. South Carolina
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Total Employment Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Cherokee County vs. South Carolina
Cherokee County:
2022 Jobs = 26,546
2022 Percent of State = 0.87%
South Carolina:
2022 Jobs = 3,067,127
2022 Percent of U.S. = 1.44%
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 Cherokee County to work are included in the employment count for Cherokee 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 Cherokee County's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Cherokee County's total employment rose from 13,422 in 1969 to 26,546 in 2022, for a net gain of 13,124, or 97.78%.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 tracks South Carolina's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, South Carolina's total employment rose from 1,170,440 in 1969 to 3,067,127 in 2022, for a net gain of 1,896,687, or 162.05%.
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows Cherokee County's total employment growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with South Carolina, 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.
Cherokee County's overall total employment growth was 97.78% over 1969-2022 trailed South Carolina's increase of 162.05%, and fell below the United States' increase of 133.32%.
Total Employment as a Percent of the South Carolina Total: 1969-2022
Total Employment as a Percent of the South Carolina Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of contrasting the total employment growth of Cherokee County is to compare its individual percentage contributions to South Carolina'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 South Carolina's total employment, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Cherokee County's total employment comprised 1.15% of South Carolina's total employment, while in 2022 it totaled 0.87% thereby yielding a -0.28% share-shift.
   
 
Total Employment Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
-0.28%
=
0.87%
-
1.15%
 
   
Cherokee County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Cherokee County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 highlights the short-run pattern of Cherokee 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, Cherokee County's total employment grew at an annual rate of 1.36% over 1970-2022. The county posted its highest growth in 2018 (7.83%) and recorded its lowest growth in 2009 (-8.66%). In 2022, Cherokee County's total employment grew by 1.22%
Cherokee County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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, Cherokee County's annual total employment growth rate averaged 3.59%. It averaged 1.46% in the 1980s, 1.61% throughout the 1990s, -1.29% throughout the 2000s, 1.83% in the 2010s, 0.06% 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 Cherokee County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for South Carolina and the nation. As the chart reveals, Cherokee County's average annual total employment growth exceeded South Carolina's average during the 1970s (3.59% vs. 2.58%), trailed South Carolina's average in the 1980s (1.46% vs. 2.13%), trailed South Carolina's average in the 1990s (1.61% vs. 1.90%), lagged South Carolina's average in the 2000s (-1.29% vs. 0.57%), lagged South Carolina's average throughout the 2010s (1.83% vs. 1.99%), and lagged South Carolina's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (0.06% vs. 2.13%).
Finally, relative to nationwide total employment growth trends, Cherokee County outpaced the nation during the 1970s (3.59% vs. 2.21%), recorded underneath the nation during the 1980s (1.46% vs. 1.88%), fell below the nation throughout the 1990s (1.61% vs. 1.73%), lagged the nation throughout the 2000s (-1.29% vs. 0.74%), recorded above the nation throughout the 2010s (1.83% vs. 1.51%), and posted below the nation over 2020-2022 (0.06% vs. 1.82%).
   
 
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
1.36
3.59
1.46
1.61
-1.29
1.83
0.06
1.22
 
1.85
2.58
2.13
1.90
0.57
1.99
2.13
4.38
 
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 Cherokee County, South Carolina 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. Cherokee County's job ratio registered 0.37 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 Cherokee County's, South Carolina'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.

   
 
Cherokee County:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
13,422
100.0
N
1.15
0.37
81.31
1970
 
13,958
104.0
3.99
1.17
0.38
84.33
1971
 
14,798
110.3
6.02
1.22
0.39
88.71
1972
 
15,566
116.0
5.19
1.23
0.41
90.35
1973
 
16,261
121.2
4.46
1.22
0.42
90.86
1974
 
15,840
118.0
-2.59
1.16
0.41
86.67
1975
 
14,843
110.6
-6.29
1.12
0.38
82.24
1976
 
15,968
119.0
7.58
1.16
0.41
87.19
1977
 
16,851
125.5
5.53
1.19
0.42
87.67
1978
 
17,889
133.3
6.16
1.22
0.44
89.62
1979
 
18,937
141.1
5.86
1.26
0.46
91.16
1980
 
18,266
136.1
-3.54
1.20
0.44
88.67
1981
 
17,809
132.7
-2.50
1.16
0.43
86.15
1982
 
17,222
128.3
-3.30
1.14
0.42
84.48
1983
 
18,014
134.2
4.60
1.16
0.43
87.85
1984
 
19,127
142.5
6.18
1.18
0.46
89.73
1985
 
19,674
146.6
2.86
1.19
0.47
89.57
1986
 
19,954
148.7
1.42
1.18
0.47
89.17
1987
 
20,787
154.9
4.17
1.20
0.48
89.79
1988
 
21,137
157.5
1.68
1.17
0.48
87.97
1989
 
21,773
162.2
3.01
1.17
0.49
89.31
1990
 
21,931
163.4
0.73
1.15
0.49
88.62
1991
 
21,107
157.3
-3.76
1.12
0.47
85.50
1992
 
21,564
160.7
2.17
1.14
0.47
86.98
1993
 
22,197
165.4
2.94
1.15
0.48
87.81
1994
 
22,463
167.4
1.20
1.14
0.47
86.34
1995
 
22,875
170.4
1.83
1.12
0.47
85.41
1996
 
23,166
172.6
1.27
1.11
0.47
84.00
1997
 
23,706
176.6
2.33
1.11
0.47
83.53
1998
 
24,906
185.6
5.06
1.14
0.49
85.18
1999
 
25,493
189.9
2.36
1.14
0.49
84.76
2000
 
25,864
192.7
1.46
1.13
0.49
83.82
2001
 
24,540
182.8
-5.12
1.09
0.46
79.68
2002
 
23,332
173.8
-4.92
1.04
0.44
76.11
2003
 
22,970
171.1
-1.55
1.01
0.43
75.16
2004
 
23,629
176.0
2.87
1.02
0.44
76.39
2005
 
23,727
176.8
0.41
1.01
0.44
75.66
2006
 
23,894
178.0
0.70
0.99
0.44
74.84
2007
 
24,674
183.8
3.26
0.99
0.45
76.00
2008
 
24,337
181.3
-1.37
0.98
0.44
75.11
2009
 
22,229
165.6
-8.66
0.94
0.40
71.21
2010
 
22,049
164.3
-0.81
0.94
0.40
71.08
2011
 
22,957
171.0
4.12
0.95
0.41
73.17
2012
 
23,116
172.2
0.69
0.94
0.42
73.05
2013
 
23,649
176.2
2.31
0.95
0.42
73.76
2014
 
24,064
179.3
1.75
0.94
0.43
73.82
2015
 
24,008
178.9
-0.23
0.91
0.43
72.57
2016
 
24,393
181.7
1.60
0.90
0.44
73.02
2017
 
24,831
185.0
1.80
0.90
0.44
73.55
2018
 
26,776
199.5
7.83
0.94
0.48
78.07
2019
 
26,566
197.9
-0.78
0.92
0.47
77.31
2020
 
25,124
187.2
-5.43
0.89
0.45
75.88
2021
 
26,225
195.4
4.38
0.89
0.47
76.66
2022
 
26,546
197.8
1.22
0.87
0.47
74.21
Source: Calculations by the South Carolina Regional Economic Analysis Project (SC-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.

   
 
South Carolina:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
1,170,440
100.0
N
1.29
0.46
100.68
1970
 
1,195,991
102.2
2.18
1.31
0.46
102.78
1971
 
1,214,524
103.8
1.55
1.33
0.46
103.04
1972
 
1,261,975
107.8
3.91
1.34
0.46
103.01
1973
 
1,327,545
113.4
5.20
1.35
0.48
102.71
1974
 
1,364,918
116.6
2.82
1.36
0.48
102.30
1975
 
1,326,160
113.3
-2.84
1.34
0.46
99.62
1976
 
1,376,441
117.6
3.79
1.35
0.47
100.21
1977
 
1,411,204
120.6
2.53
1.34
0.47
98.78
1978
 
1,466,342
125.3
3.91
1.34
0.48
97.63
1979
 
1,507,001
128.8
2.77
1.33
0.49
96.89
1980
 
1,523,489
130.2
1.09
1.34
0.49
96.89
1981
 
1,536,244
131.3
0.84
1.34
0.48
96.49
1982
 
1,513,855
129.3
-1.46
1.33
0.47
95.77
1983
 
1,547,496
132.2
2.22
1.34
0.48
96.73
1984
 
1,624,992
138.8
5.01
1.35
0.50
97.18
1985
 
1,655,111
141.4
1.85
1.34
0.50
96.30
1986
 
1,697,186
145.0
2.54
1.34
0.51
96.58
1987
 
1,738,122
148.5
2.41
1.34
0.51
96.16
1988
 
1,809,013
154.6
4.08
1.35
0.53
97.05
1989
 
1,858,308
158.8
2.72
1.36
0.54
97.44
1990
 
1,912,747
163.4
2.93
1.38
0.55
98.59
1991
 
1,886,170
161.2
-1.39
1.37
0.53
97.12
1992
 
1,897,465
162.1
0.60
1.37
0.52
97.30
1993
 
1,931,459
165.0
1.79
1.37
0.53
97.35
1994
 
1,978,983
169.1
2.46
1.37
0.53
97.46
1995
 
2,038,053
174.1
2.98
1.38
0.54
97.87
1996
 
2,080,349
177.7
2.08
1.38
0.55
97.73
1997
 
2,140,787
182.9
2.91
1.39
0.55
97.85
1998
 
2,191,440
187.2
2.37
1.38
0.56
97.33
1999
 
2,240,690
191.4
2.25
1.39
0.56
97.38
2000
 
2,279,819
194.8
1.75
1.38
0.57
96.66
2001
 
2,256,571
192.8
-1.02
1.36
0.56
95.57
2002
 
2,248,075
192.1
-0.38
1.36
0.55
95.34
2003
 
2,263,806
193.4
0.70
1.36
0.55
95.37
2004
 
2,305,699
197.0
1.85
1.37
0.55
94.96
2005
 
2,356,325
201.3
2.20
1.37
0.55
94.62
2006
 
2,418,647
206.6
2.64
1.38
0.56
94.16
2007
 
2,482,361
212.1
2.63
1.38
0.56
93.72
2008
 
2,472,467
211.2
-0.40
1.38
0.55
92.63
2009
 
2,367,944
202.3
-4.23
1.36
0.52
91.15
2010
 
2,357,679
201.4
-0.43
1.36
0.51
91.04
2011
 
2,427,453
207.4
2.96
1.38
0.52
92.19
2012
 
2,453,323
209.6
1.07
1.37
0.52
91.66
2013
 
2,500,985
213.7
1.94
1.37
0.53
91.65
2014
 
2,564,027
219.1
2.52
1.38
0.54
91.72
2015
 
2,636,275
225.2
2.82
1.39
0.54
91.86
2016
 
2,700,187
230.7
2.42
1.40
0.55
92.21
2017
 
2,759,183
235.7
2.18
1.40
0.56
92.41
2018
 
2,843,694
243.0
3.06
1.42
0.57
92.90
2019
 
2,882,364
246.3
1.36
1.43
0.57
92.97
2020
 
2,825,233
241.4
-1.98
1.45
0.55
93.46
2021
 
2,938,337
251.0
4.00
1.45
0.57
92.66
2022
 
3,067,127
262.0
4.38
1.44
0.58
91.09
Source: Calculations by the South Carolina Regional Economic Analysis Project (SC-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 South Carolina Regional Economic Analysis Project (SC-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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