All industry sectors expanded within the Rural Capital Area (RCA) between 2018 and 2019. The greatest net new job growth occurred in the following four sectors: Professional & Business Services (+ 3,000), Construction (+ 2,200), Health Services & Private Education (+ 1,600), and Manufacturing (+ 1,300). All told, these sectors accounted for six out of every ten new jobs. The recent trends differ greatly over the past five years during which time Trade, Transportation & Utilities led all sectors in new job creation.

All sectors in the RCA expanded at a greater rate than the United States in 2019. The fastest growing industry in the RCA was Information (16.8% annual job growth), which primarily includes media publishers, broadcasting and telecommunications services. This trajectory represents a strong turnaround for the sector, which grew by just 0.8% in 2018.

Other high-growth industries included Professional & Business Services (10.2%), Construction (8.4%), and Natural Resources & Mining (8.4%).

Click here to view interactive dashboards and to see industry growth trends by county:  https://ruralcapitalheadlight.com/headlight/empind