What does this measure?

The net growth or decline in jobs by sector, shown as a percentage gain or loss from 2010 to 2022.

Why is this important?

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.

How is our county doing?

Among large sectors, Essex County has seen the greatest growth in the Financial Activities (107%), Healthcare and Social Assistance (45%) and Professional and Business Services and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (both 27%) sectors. The biggest decline among large sectors was in Manufacturing, where jobs fell 32%. Some smaller sectors had large gains or declines: Educational Services, with 3% of total jobs, grew 75% from 2010 to 2022, and Agriculture, with less than 1% of all jobs, declined 27%. Trends in Essex County were similar to statewide and national trends.

The largest sectors in Essex County in 2022 were Trade, Transportation and Utilities with 18% of total jobs in the county followed by Health Care and Social Assistance and Professional and Business Services (both with 14%), Financial Activities (11%), and Leisure and Hospitality and Government (both at 9.0%). These shares were largely similar to the state and national distribution of jobs.

How do we compare to similar counties?

Essex County's trends were very similar to trends in the comparison counties. All the counties, for example, had losses in Manufacturing - jobs fell 41% in Westchester, NY, 39% in Middlesex, MA and 1% in Lake County, IL - and gains in Financial Activities - up 103% in Westchester, 99% in Middlesex and 51% in Lake.

Notes about the data

County employment estimates are reported by place of work, not place of residence.