Economy And Workforce






Essex County’s economy has rebounded to a degree from the depths of the national recession of 2008-09 and several key sectors are gaining jobs, but salaries have only kept pace with inflation.

Total jobs increased 4% from 2020 to 2021 representing rebound from a 5.7% job loss from 2019 to 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. That rate of growth was above the state, nation and above Essex County’s  comparable counties.

Growing sectors in Essex County include Financial Activities, which increased 82% in total jobs from 2001 to 2021, Healthcare and Social Assistance (46%) and Professional and Business Services (20%) sectors. Trends in Essex County were very similar to statewide and national trends, as well as to comparable counties.

The largest sectors in Essex County were very similar to the state and nation: 15% of total jobs were in Health Care and Social Assistance and 18% in Trade, Transportation and Utilities, 14% in Professional and Business Services and 9% in each of the following: Financial Activities, Government, Leisure and Hospitality and Manufacturing. 

The highest paid sector in Essex County was Financial Activities, with an average annual salary of $111,300 in 2021. This was followed by Information ($110,200) and Manufacturing ($103,800). The lowest paid sector was Leisure and Hospitality ($29,200). This was similar to the state and nation, where the Financial Activities ($165,300 and $114,900, respectively) and Information sectors ($150,700 and $147,700, respectively) were the two highest earning sectors.

Overall, yearly salaries in Essex County averaged $71,200 in 2021 and increased 15% from 2000 after adjusting for inflation. This is in contrast to the state, where the average salary has increased by 26% and the nation, with a 22% increase over the same time period. (All financial data is presented in real terms.)

From 2000 to 2021, salaries grew fastest in Essex County in the Financial Activities (62%), Professional and Business Services (31%) and Manufacturing (23%) sectors, while the Information sector had the largest decrease (-1%). Although Essex County, the state and nation had similar changes in many sectors, the state and nation both had increases in average salaries in Information of 43% and 64% respectively.

In Essex County, as in the state and nation, women’s earnings tended to lag men’s earnings in the same occupations. For all occupations, Essex County women earned 78% of men’s earnings.

Like the state and nation, Essex County’s economy is dominated by small employers. In 2020, over half (55%) of businesses in Essex County employed 1-4 people, 19% employed 5-9 people, 12% employed 10-19 people and the remaining 14% employed 20 people or more. Only 3% of employers, less than 500 businesses, had 100 or more employees. This has not changed substantially since 2000.

Self-employment in Essex County brings in more revenue per resident than for the nation as a whole. Essex County had about $7,900 in self-employment revenue per resident in 2019, above the state and over $1,000 higher per resident than the nation. Essex County’s level was up 6% since 2000.

Unemployment in the county fell to 6.4% in 2021. This represents a decline from the previous year when the rate peaked at 10.4% due to COVID in 2020. The unemployment rate in Essex County was higher than the state, nation and comparable counties. 

In 2017-21, unemployment was higher among Hispanic and African American residents at about 9.4% and 4.1% than among Asian and white residents, similar to the disparities seen at the state and national levels.

In 2019, around 114,300 workers (44%) entered Essex County for work each year, and 174,100 residents (54%) left for work each year.





INDICATORS TREND | ESSEX COUNTY
People 65 or Older Living Alone Decreasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Prevalence of Overweight Adults Not Applicable
Preterm Births Increasing
Infant Mortality Rate Maintaining
Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels Decreasing
Children Living in Poverty Increasing
Children Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Disengaged Youth Maintaining
Live Births to Teen Mothers Decreasing
Youth Arrests Decreasing
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments Maintaining
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Employment Maintaining
Tourism Spending Increasing
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Charitable Contributions Maintaining
Protected Land Not Applicable
Days with Good Air Quality Increasing
Beach Contamination Increasing
Daily Water Use per Resident Decreasing
Crimes Against People Maintaining
Crimes Against Property Decreasing
Drug-Related Arrests Maintaining
Reports of Domestic Violence Increasing
Incarceration Rates Decreasing
Recidivism Decreasing
Households Without Vehicles Decreasing
Means of Transportation to Work Not Applicable
Traffic Injuries and Fatalities Maintaining
Households With Internet Access Not Applicable
Change in Total Population Increasing
Change in Population by Age/Sex Not Applicable
People with Disabilities Maintaining
Households by Type Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Sex Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Change in Jobs by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary Increasing
Change in Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Median Earnings by Occupation by Gender Not Applicable
People Entering/Leaving County for Work Not Applicable
Employer Size Not Applicable
Self-Employment Revenue Increasing
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate Increasing
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Prekindergarten Participation Not Applicable
Female Enrollment in School Not Applicable
Chronically Absent Students Increasing
Per-Student Spending Increasing
Bullying Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 Reading Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 English Language Arts Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate Increasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults Not Applicable
Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Income in Relation to Poverty Level Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income Increasing
Median Household Income by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Household Type Not Applicable
Living Wage Rate by Household Type Not Applicable
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving Temporary Assistance Increasing
Households Receiving Federal Food Assistance Increasing
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Earned Income Tax Credit Participation Decreasing
Economically Disadvantaged Students Increasing
Median Home Value Increasing
Cost of Homeownership Increasing
Cost of Renting Increasing
Homeownership Rates Maintaining
Homeownership Rates by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeless Persons Maintaining
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Medical Care Expenses Increasing
Prevalence of Children with Asthma Maintaining
Prevalence of Overweight Children Maintaining
Diabetes Incidence Decreasing
Chronic Disease Among Older Adults Increasing
Cancer Incidence Decreasing
Cancer Mortality Rate Decreasing
Heart Disease Mortality Rate Decreasing
Mortality Rate Decreasing
People who Smoke Not Applicable
Use of Illegal Drugs Not Applicable
Youth Use of Illegal Drugs Not Applicable
Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Not Applicable
Drug Overdose Mortality Rate Increasing
Prevalence of Mental Illness Maintaining
Suicide Rate Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 Reading Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 English Language Arts Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable