3 - Interregional Shifts in the Location of Population and Employment

Abstract

Regional employment and population changes are expected to be positively correlated. However, while a positive qualitative relationship exists between regional employment and population changes, the quantitative relationship among these variables is far from being clear. Available data suggest a highly unstable relationship between the variables over time and also a relationship that differs considerably among regions. A report presented in this chapter reports for each census region the average annual rate of growth of nonagricultural employment for the period 1947–1977 and for various subperiods within this time interval. Over this period of time, the West experienced an average annual rate of growth of 3.42%, which was over three times as high as the average annual rate of 1.03% in the Northeast and twice as high as the average rate of 1.77% in the North Central region. During the same period, the South had an average annual rate of nonagricultural employment growth of 3.04%.