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 0.6% from 2023 to 2024 continuing a rebound from a 9.3% job loss from 2019 to 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. The job growth in Essex was above the state rate (0.2%) but below the nation (1.2%). Since 2010, the number of jobs in Essex has grown 10% to approximately 323,700 jobs.
Essex County's latest annual rate of growth was above Middlesex, MA and Lake County, IL (-0.5% and 0.5% respectively) but below Westchester, NY (1.6%). Since 2010, Essex County's job growth was higher than Lake (7%) and Westchester (8%), but below Middlesex (15%).
Data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. County employment is reported by place of work, not place of residence.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | N/A | 1.4% | 2.3% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.4% | -9.3% | 4.2% | 3.1% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Middlesex County, MA | N/A | 1.0% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 2.6% | 1.8% | -7.6% | 2.8% | 3.4% | 0.8% | -0.5% |
| Lake County, IL | N/A | 1.3% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.5% | -6.8% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Westchester County, NY | N/A | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.8% | -10.6% | 2.3% | 3.9% | 2.8% | 1.6% |
| Massachusetts | N/A | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.4% | -8.6% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 1.1% | 0.2% |
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | 294,298 | 298,450 | 305,211 | 309,382 | 313,446 | 319,111 | 322,726 | 325,362 | 325,671 | 327,009 | 296,754 | 309,191 | 318,677 | 321,610 | 323,694 |
| Middlesex County, MA | 802,468 | 810,260 | 825,966 | 837,178 | 854,203 | 873,601 | 888,073 | 900,749 | 924,133 | 940,312 | 868,635 | 892,656 | 922,865 | 930,683 | 926,104 |
| Lake County, IL | 308,287 | 312,215 | 321,836 | 326,294 | 330,111 | 331,311 | 332,564 | 335,598 | 338,901 | 340,643 | 317,448 | 321,815 | 326,413 | 327,625 | 329,354 |
| Westchester County, NY | 398,832 | 403,332 | 404,858 | 406,392 | 412,605 | 418,887 | 422,288 | 426,170 | 429,127 | 432,732 | 386,750 | 395,736 | 411,178 | 422,643 | 429,582 |
| Massachusetts | 3,149,169 | 3,189,753 | 3,242,273 | 3,295,647 | 3,360,035 | 3,428,020 | 3,494,553 | 3,543,383 | 3,586,034 | 3,636,617 | 3,324,192 | 3,456,005 | 3,595,632 | 3,636,169 | 3,644,805 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | ESSEX COUNTY |
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