The growth or decline in total jobs, shown as a percentage gain or loss from the previous year.
Job growth is a key indicator of economic health and vitality and reveals whether and by how much an economy is expanding. In addition to the number of jobs, the quality of jobs should be considered. This is reflected in measures of average salary.
Essex County had job growth of 4% from 2020 to 2021 representing a partial rebound from a 5.7% job loss from 2019 to 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. This was above the state and nation (3.5% and 3% respectively). Since 2001, the county has gained 17% to 461,200 jobs, a growth rate similar to the state and slightly lower than the nation (22%).
Essex County's latest annual rate of growth was above Middlesex, MA and Lake County, IL (both at 2.8%) and Westchester, NY (2.7%). Since 2001, Essex County's job growth was higher than Lake (9%) and Westchester (14%), and on par with Middlesex (17%).
Data is from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. County employment is reported by place of work, not place of residence.
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | N/A | -1.1% | -0.7% | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.7% | 0.4% | -1.7% | 0.5% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 2.4% | 1.7% | 4.5% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 0.1% | -5.7% | 4.0% |
| Middlesex County, MA | N/A | -2.9% | -1.6% | 0.5% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 2.8% | 1.0% | -2.2% | 0.3% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 2.4% | 4.6% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 2.5% | 0.3% | -5.0% | 2.8% |
| Lake County, IL | N/A | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 0.4% | -2.4% | -1.9% | 0.0% | 2.1% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.5% | -0.2% | -3.2% | 2.8% |
| Westchester County, NY | N/A | 0.5% | 0.4% | 2.1% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 3.1% | 0.9% | -2.4% | -0.3% | 2.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 0.9% | 0.3% | 1.7% | 0.2% | -6.2% | 2.7% |
| Massachusetts | N/A | -1.3% | -0.7% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 2.3% | 0.3% | -2.4% | -0.0% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 4.1% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 0.4% | -5.6% | 3.5% |
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | 393,504 | 389,319 | 386,740 | 391,074 | 394,554 | 398,143 | 405,025 | 406,600 | 399,773 | 401,899 | 409,309 | 418,044 | 427,967 | 435,184 | 454,838 | 459,507 | 465,137 | 469,704 | 470,231 | 443,612 | 461,171 |
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,062,266 | 1,031,503 | 1,014,982 | 1,019,559 | 1,036,466 | 1,051,914 | 1,081,319 | 1,091,613 | 1,067,868 | 1,070,657 | 1,082,306 | 1,101,035 | 1,125,158 | 1,151,683 | 1,205,051 | 1,222,910 | 1,240,998 | 1,271,821 | 1,275,272 | 1,211,415 | 1,245,514 |
| Lake County, IL | 428,663 | 430,000 | 431,237 | 435,886 | 443,365 | 450,476 | 459,342 | 461,046 | 450,175 | 441,442 | 441,638 | 450,725 | 454,875 | 458,548 | 462,774 | 465,900 | 469,426 | 471,646 | 470,755 | 455,607 | 468,305 |
| Westchester County, NY | 537,285 | 540,010 | 542,234 | 553,429 | 559,012 | 565,054 | 582,796 | 588,329 | 573,972 | 572,419 | 587,319 | 590,166 | 595,050 | 605,383 | 616,101 | 621,421 | 623,033 | 633,562 | 634,560 | 595,465 | 611,783 |
| Massachusetts | 4,075,959 | 4,021,589 | 3,991,991 | 4,028,638 | 4,071,326 | 4,110,415 | 4,202,942 | 4,215,669 | 4,115,997 | 4,115,539 | 4,175,311 | 4,253,327 | 4,353,568 | 4,447,626 | 4,631,417 | 4,709,797 | 4,778,252 | 4,854,641 | 4,872,989 | 4,600,345 | 4,761,271 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | ESSEX COUNTY |
|---|
