Bristol County vs. Massachusetts
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Average Earnings Per Job Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Bristol County vs. Massachusetts
Bristol County:
2022 Avg. Earnings = $68,379
2022 Percent of State = 76.85%
Massachusetts:
2022 Avg. Earnings = $88,976
The United States economy has generated an impressive number of jobs since the 1970s. The contrast between the nation's vigorous employment growth and the modest performance of other major industrial countries is striking. Despite this rosy track record, the real (inflation adjusted) wages and salaries of many workers have stagnated or slipped in recent years. This development has provoked concerns about the quality of new jobs. Structural shifts in the composition of employment--from high-wage goods-producing to low-wage services-related sectors--is the culprit most often cited for the deteriorating quality of jobs.
Regions vary greatly in the make-up of their labor force, in their industry composition of employment, and their economic experience. Reviewing and examining recent developments in average earnings per job in Bristol County with comparisons to Massachusetts and the nation is an important first step in understanding the economic forces at play in Bristol County.
Discussion: Average Annual Earnings Per Job are computed by dividing BEA total industry earnings estimates by the BEA total full- and part-time jobs estimates. No convenient or adequate means exist at the county or regional level for converting the job estimates to a full-time equivalent measure. So, interpret the average earnings per job estimates with caution in consideration of the following issues:
Average earnings per job within industries involving more part-time work is lower than industries involving more full-time work, although there could be little difference in the underlying wage of full-time workers. Such differences could also prevail between counties and regions. An increase in the proportion of part-time jobs over time may erode average earnings per job estimates, although full-time earnings per worker may have remained unchanged.
As with per capita income, average earnings per job may be subject to extreme short-run variation, especially in smaller counties. Major construction projects relating to building dams, nuclear power plants, and private plant construction projects have caused extreme fluctuations in many smaller counties. Such changes typify both small and large agriculture-dependent counties owing to the extreme annual variations in farm incomes. Also, Since average earnings per job are just a simple average, it does not account for variations in the distribution of earnings among high- vs. low-wage jobs.
Bristol County Average Earnings Per Job, 1970-2022
Current vs. Constant Dollars
Bristol County Average Earnings Per Job, 1970-2022
Current vs. Constant Dollars
Figure 1.
Figure 1 depicts Bristol County's annual average earnings per job over 1970-2022 in current and constant (2017) dollars. Constant dollar measurements remove the effects of inflation. They allow for comparison of changes in the real purchasing power of Bristol County over time.
When measured in current dollars, Bristol County's average earnings per job increased 951.50%, from $6,503 in 1970 to $68,379 in 2022. When measured in constant 2017 dollars to adjust for inflation, it advanced 79.11%, from $32,900 in 1970 to $58,926 in 2022.
Real Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
Real Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 tracks Bristol County's and Massachusetts' annual real average earnings per job for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate real average earnings per job patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Bristol County's real average earnings per job rose from $32,912 in 1969 to $58,926 in 2022, for a net gain of $26,014, or 79.04%. In comparison, Massachusetts' real average earnings per job advanced from $38,464 in 1969 to $76,675 in 2022, for a net gain of $38,211, or 99.34%.
Real Average Earnings Per Job Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Real Average Earnings Per Job Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 portrays Bristol County's real average earnings per job growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Massachusetts, the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's real average earnings per job in 1969 as a base figure of 100, and the real average earnings per jobs in later years as a percentage of the 1969 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in real average earnings per job growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
Bristol County's overall real average earnings per job growth was 79.04% over 1969-2022 trailed Massachusetts' increase of 99.34%, and outpaced the United States' increase of 62.26%.
Average Earnings Per Job as a Percent of the U.S. Average: 1969-2022
Average Earnings Per Job as a Percent of the U.S. Average: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Figure 4 depicts the trends for average earnings per job relative to the national average by tracing Bristol County and Massachusetts average earnings per job as a percent of the national average over 1969-2022.
In 1969, Bristol County's average earnings per job amounted to 86.57% of the national average; in 2022, it approximated 95.52%. Similarly, in 1969, Massachusetts' average earnings per job totaled 101.17% of the national average; in 2022, it consisted of 124.29%.
Bristol County Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Bristol County Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 highlights the short-run pattern of Bristol County's real average earnings per job growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1970-2022. The average annual percent change for the entire 53-year period is also illustrated on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
On average, Bristol County's real average earnings per job grew at an annual rate of 1.13% over 1970-2022. The county posted its highest growth in 2001 (6.42%) and recorded its lowest growth in 1974 (-5.21%). In 2022, Bristol County's real average earnings per job declined by -5.18%
Bristol County Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Bristol County Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 6.
Over the past five decades some counties have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 6 again depicts the annual percent change in Bristol County's real average earnings per job since 1970, but this time they are overlayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, Bristol County's annual real average earnings per job growth rate averaged 0.32%. It averaged 1.80% in the 1980s, 1.31% during the 1990s, 1.35% during the 2000s, 1.11% in the 2010s, 0.38% thus far this decade (2020-2022).
Real Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Real Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Figure 7.
Figure 7 compares the decade average growth rates for Bristol County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Massachusetts and the nation. As the chart reveals, Bristol County's average annual real average earnings per job growth fell below Massachusetts' average during the 1970s (0.32% vs. 0.40%), amounted to less than Massachusetts' average in the 1980s (1.80% vs. 2.29%), recorded under Massachusetts' average in the 1990s (1.31% vs. 2.09%), registered above Massachusetts' average during the 2000s (1.35% vs. 1.20%), outgained Massachusetts' average in the 2010s (1.11% vs. 1.08%), and topped Massachusetts' average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (0.38% vs. 0.07%).
Finally, relative to nationwide real average earnings per job growth trends, Bristol County fell under the nation over the 1970s (0.32% vs. 0.89%), surpassed the nation throughout the 1980s (1.80% vs. 0.71%), posted below the nation in the 1990s (1.31% vs. 1.68%), outpaced the nation in the 2000s (1.35% vs. 0.72%), recorded above the nation over the 2010s (1.11% vs. 1.01%), and exceeded the nation over 2020-2022 (0.38% vs. -0.24%).
   
 
Real* Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
1.13
0.32
1.80
1.31
1.35
1.11
0.38
-5.18
 
1.34
0.40
2.29
2.09
1.20
1.08
0.07
-5.56
 
0.93
0.89
0.71
1.68
0.72
1.01
-0.24
-4.51
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Bristol County:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
6,215
0.189
32,912
100.0
N
85.56
86.57
1970
 
6,503
0.198
32,900
100.0
-0.03
83.92
85.61
1971
 
6,930
0.206
33,634
102.2
2.23
83.48
85.53
1972
 
7,390
0.213
34,683
105.4
3.12
83.64
85.03
1973
 
7,827
0.225
34,858
105.9
0.50
83.77
83.84
1974
 
8,192
0.248
33,040
100.4
-5.21
83.35
82.51
1975
 
8,775
0.269
32,670
99.3
-1.12
83.26
81.91
1976
 
9,523
0.283
33,612
102.1
2.88
83.86
82.46
1977
 
10,180
0.302
33,735
102.5
0.37
83.81
82.02
1978
 
10,996
0.323
34,068
103.5
0.99
84.38
81.71
1979
 
11,906
0.351
33,879
102.9
-0.55
84.81
81.73
1980
 
12,670
0.389
32,548
98.9
-3.93
83.08
80.93
1981
 
13,704
0.424
32,310
98.2
-0.73
82.20
80.30
1982
 
14,709
0.448
32,853
99.8
1.68
82.12
81.76
1983
 
15,859
0.467
33,977
103.2
3.42
82.14
83.82
1984
 
16,994
0.484
35,084
106.6
3.26
81.77
84.21
1985
 
18,000
0.501
35,907
109.1
2.35
81.45
85.19
1986
 
19,074
0.512
37,239
113.1
3.71
81.51
86.39
1987
 
20,578
0.528
38,973
118.4
4.66
80.72
88.98
1988
 
22,017
0.549
40,130
121.9
2.97
80.71
90.21
1989
 
23,117
0.573
40,371
122.7
0.60
80.77
90.80
1990
 
24,110
0.598
40,334
122.6
-0.09
81.11
90.64
1991
 
25,071
0.618
40,585
123.3
0.62
80.53
91.05
1992
 
26,006
0.634
41,005
124.6
1.03
79.45
88.52
1993
 
26,884
0.650
41,361
125.7
0.87
80.30
89.31
1994
 
27,714
0.664
41,766
126.9
0.98
80.17
89.66
1995
 
28,527
0.678
42,104
127.9
0.81
79.09
90.26
1996
 
29,798
0.692
43,059
130.8
2.27
78.77
90.82
1997
 
30,632
0.704
43,508
132.2
1.04
77.61
89.52
1998
 
31,374
0.710
44,209
134.3
1.61
76.13
87.12
1999
 
33,096
0.720
45,966
139.7
3.97
74.87
87.67
2000
 
34,534
0.738
46,780
142.1
1.77
71.48
86.54
2001
 
37,488
0.753
49,783
151.3
6.42
75.22
90.38
2002
 
38,738
0.763
50,776
154.3
1.99
77.14
91.35
2003
 
39,738
0.779
51,015
155.0
0.47
77.45
91.03
2004
 
41,311
0.798
51,751
157.2
1.44
76.34
90.88
2005
 
42,239
0.821
51,432
156.3
-0.62
76.63
90.55
2006
 
44,605
0.844
52,825
160.5
2.71
77.34
92.08
2007
 
45,181
0.866
52,168
158.5
-1.24
76.34
91.49
2008
 
47,366
0.892
53,119
161.4
1.82
78.46
94.17
2009
 
46,619
0.889
52,428
159.3
-1.30
75.93
93.16
2010
 
49,177
0.905
54,331
165.1
3.63
75.73
94.22
2011
 
50,297
0.928
54,197
164.7
-0.25
75.98
93.78
2012
 
51,372
0.945
54,342
165.1
0.27
76.74
93.30
2013
 
51,497
0.958
53,766
163.4
-1.06
76.80
92.23
2014
 
52,048
0.971
53,590
162.8
-0.33
76.54
91.33
2015
 
53,397
0.973
54,879
166.7
2.40
77.22
92.06
2016
 
53,037
0.983
53,964
164.0
-1.67
75.41
90.69
2017
 
55,401
1.000
55,401
168.3
2.66
76.03
91.83
2018
 
57,311
1.020
56,161
170.6
1.37
75.96
92.28
2019
 
60,498
1.035
58,444
177.6
4.07
76.14
93.91
2020
 
65,018
1.046
62,138
188.8
6.32
76.31
96.50
2021
 
67,736
1.090
62,143
188.8
0.01
76.54
96.19
2022
 
68,379
1.160
58,926
179.0
-5.18
76.85
95.52
Source: Calculations by the Massachusetts Regional Economic Analysis Project (MA-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Massachusetts:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,263
0.189
38,464
100.0
N
101.17
1970
 
7,749
0.198
39,206
101.9
1.93
102.02
1971
 
8,302
0.206
40,290
104.7
2.76
102.45
1972
 
8,836
0.213
41,466
107.8
2.92
101.67
1973
 
9,344
0.225
41,612
108.2
0.35
100.08
1974
 
9,827
0.248
39,638
103.1
-4.74
98.99
1975
 
10,539
0.269
39,236
102.0
-1.01
98.38
1976
 
11,356
0.283
40,082
104.2
2.16
98.33
1977
 
12,146
0.302
40,250
104.6
0.42
97.86
1978
 
13,032
0.323
40,376
105.0
0.31
96.84
1979
 
14,040
0.351
39,950
103.9
-1.06
96.37
1980
 
15,250
0.389
39,175
101.8
-1.94
97.40
1981
 
16,671
0.424
39,305
102.2
0.33
97.68
1982
 
17,911
0.448
40,006
104.0
1.78
99.56
1983
 
19,307
0.467
41,365
107.5
3.40
102.05
1984
 
20,783
0.484
42,905
111.5
3.72
102.98
1985
 
22,100
0.501
44,087
114.6
2.75
104.59
1986
 
23,401
0.512
45,688
118.8
3.63
105.99
1987
 
25,494
0.528
48,282
125.5
5.68
110.24
1988
 
27,280
0.549
49,723
129.3
2.98
111.77
1989
 
28,620
0.573
49,982
129.9
0.52
112.41
1990
 
29,726
0.598
49,730
129.3
-0.50
111.76
1991
 
31,134
0.618
50,401
131.0
1.35
113.06
1992
 
32,730
0.634
51,609
134.2
2.40
111.41
1993
 
33,481
0.650
51,510
133.9
-0.19
111.23
1994
 
34,567
0.664
52,094
135.4
1.13
111.84
1995
 
36,069
0.678
53,235
138.4
2.19
114.12
1996
 
37,830
0.692
54,665
142.1
2.69
115.30
1997
 
39,470
0.704
56,060
145.7
2.55
115.35
1998
 
41,213
0.710
58,073
151.0
3.59
114.45
1999
 
44,206
0.720
61,397
159.6
5.72
117.10
2000
 
48,314
0.738
65,447
170.2
6.60
121.08
2001
 
49,839
0.753
66,185
172.1
1.13
120.16
2002
 
50,214
0.763
65,820
171.1
-0.55
118.41
2003
 
51,309
0.779
65,870
171.3
0.08
117.53
2004
 
54,117
0.798
67,793
176.3
2.92
119.05
2005
 
55,123
0.821
67,119
174.5
-0.99
118.17
2006
 
57,673
0.844
68,301
177.6
1.76
119.06
2007
 
59,182
0.866
68,334
177.7
0.05
119.84
2008
 
60,373
0.892
67,705
176.0
-0.92
120.03
2009
 
61,395
0.889
69,044
179.5
1.98
122.69
2010
 
64,935
0.905
71,741
186.5
3.91
124.42
2011
 
66,197
0.928
71,330
185.4
-0.57
123.43
2012
 
66,942
0.945
70,813
184.1
-0.73
121.58
2013
 
67,053
0.958
70,007
182.0
-1.14
120.09
2014
 
67,997
0.971
70,013
182.0
0.01
119.31
2015
 
69,153
0.973
71,073
184.8
1.51
119.22
2016
 
70,330
0.983
71,558
186.0
0.68
120.26
2017
 
72,872
1.000
72,872
189.5
1.84
120.79
2018
 
75,444
1.020
73,931
192.2
1.45
121.48
2019
 
79,461
1.035
76,764
199.6
3.83
123.35
2020
 
85,206
1.046
81,432
211.7
6.08
126.46
2021
 
88,498
1.090
81,190
211.1
-0.30
125.67
2022
 
88,976
1.160
76,675
199.3
-5.56
124.29
Source: Calculations by the Massachusetts Regional Economic Analysis Project (MA-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,179
0.189
38,018
100.0
N
1970
 
7,596
0.198
38,430
101.1
1.08
1971
 
8,103
0.206
39,326
103.4
2.33
1972
 
8,691
0.213
40,786
107.3
3.71
1973
 
9,336
0.225
41,579
109.4
1.94
1974
 
9,928
0.248
40,044
105.3
-3.69
1975
 
10,713
0.269
39,883
104.9
-0.40
1976
 
11,549
0.283
40,761
107.2
2.20
1977
 
12,412
0.302
41,131
108.2
0.91
1978
 
13,457
0.323
41,694
109.7
1.37
1979
 
14,568
0.351
41,454
109.0
-0.58
1980
 
15,657
0.389
40,220
105.8
-2.98
1981
 
17,066
0.424
40,237
105.8
0.04
1982
 
17,989
0.448
40,181
105.7
-0.14
1983
 
18,920
0.467
40,535
106.6
0.88
1984
 
20,181
0.484
41,663
109.6
2.78
1985
 
21,130
0.501
42,152
110.9
1.17
1986
 
22,078
0.512
43,104
113.4
2.26
1987
 
23,126
0.528
43,799
115.2
1.61
1988
 
24,408
0.549
44,487
117.0
1.57
1989
 
25,460
0.573
44,462
117.0
-0.05
1990
 
26,599
0.598
44,498
117.0
0.08
1991
 
27,537
0.618
44,577
117.3
0.18
1992
 
29,378
0.634
46,323
121.8
3.92
1993
 
30,101
0.650
46,309
121.8
-0.03
1994
 
30,909
0.664
46,580
122.5
0.59
1995
 
31,605
0.678
46,646
122.7
0.14
1996
 
32,810
0.692
47,411
124.7
1.64
1997
 
34,218
0.704
48,600
127.8
2.51
1998
 
36,011
0.710
50,743
133.5
4.41
1999
 
37,751
0.720
52,432
137.9
3.33
2000
 
39,903
0.738
54,053
142.2
3.09
2001
 
41,477
0.753
55,080
144.9
1.90
2002
 
42,406
0.763
55,584
146.2
0.92
2003
 
43,655
0.779
56,045
147.4
0.83
2004
 
45,456
0.798
56,943
149.8
1.60
2005
 
46,648
0.821
56,800
149.4
-0.25
2006
 
48,442
0.844
57,368
150.9
1.00
2007
 
49,382
0.866
57,019
150.0
-0.61
2008
 
50,298
0.892
56,407
148.4
-1.07
2009
 
50,041
0.889
56,276
148.0
-0.23
2010
 
52,191
0.905
57,661
151.7
2.46
2011
 
53,633
0.928
57,792
152.0
0.23
2012
 
55,061
0.945
58,245
153.2
0.78
2013
 
55,837
0.958
58,296
153.3
0.09
2014
 
56,990
0.971
58,680
154.3
0.66
2015
 
58,005
0.973
59,615
156.8
1.59
2016
 
58,480
0.983
59,501
156.5
-0.19
2017
 
60,329
1.000
60,329
158.7
1.39
2018
 
62,102
1.020
60,856
160.1
0.87
2019
 
64,419
1.035
62,233
163.7
2.26
2020
 
67,378
1.046
64,393
169.4
3.47
2021
 
70,421
1.090
64,606
169.9
0.33
2022
 
71,586
1.160
61,690
162.3
-4.51
Source: Calculations by the Massachusetts Regional Economic Analysis Project (MA-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PN
 
   
Copyright © 2023. Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Analysis Project (PNREAP). All Rights Reserved.

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To offer the most comprehensive set of interactive options in support of your research, MA-REAP calculates and crunches most of the data and generates the narrative and graphic analysis on demand in response to your request.
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